300 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The Sparrows are very well worth watching. They are far 

 more alert and bright than House-Sparrows. They do not in 

 the least mind my watching the nests from a distance of thirty 

 yards or so, but I can never get very close to the birds. Except 

 by the note, which is very distinctive, it would not be easy to 

 identify them with certainty without a glass. 



10th. — I went to E — garden. The young Tree-Sparrows in 

 the nest in the south wall are about ready to leave. I saw one 

 being fed at the entrance to the breeding-hole, and I was not 

 certain that some had not actually left. I saw a Tree- Sparrow 

 going to a hole (B) in the east wall, and went over and found 

 the nest. It was of the usual type and contained five eggs, 

 four with a great deal of dark brown' marking and the other with 

 a light ground and some dark markings. The eggs were as 

 small as usual, much smaller than those of the House-Sparrow. 

 The nest was immediately beside the hole where I found the 

 first nest in 1907. 



13th. — I went to the Tree-Sparrow's nest in the wall of the 

 field (C). The young are nearly ready to leave. 



14th. — The young Sparrows in nest (C) are ready to leave. 

 One of them flew a considerable distance from the nest. 



22nd. — I saw a Tree- Sparrow leaving the nesting-hole (A) in 

 the south wall of the garden, that the young birds left a week 

 ago, and when I went over I found that new nesting-material 

 had been brought to the nest. I had wondered why I did not 

 see any old nests of other years round the walls, but apparently 

 the birds are using the same holes repeatedly. 



23rd. — There is new nesting-material (E) in the nest (C) in 

 the wall of the field. The birds are certainly using it again. I 

 saw the old birds near the nest, still with the young ones round 

 them. I went into D — garden, and saw a pair of Tree- Sparrows 

 that had obviously got a nest in it. One of the birds was carry- 

 ing a feather. Both came quite close to me and showed anxiety. 

 I think that there is only one pair (F) there. 



25th. — The Tree-Sparrow's nest (E) in the wall of the field 

 has one egg to-day. The birds have added considerably to the 

 nest. They have even used a little green grass. These Sparrows 

 do not seem to mind my being often at the nest. I handled the 

 small birds of the first brood repeatedly, and have been at the 



