414 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



records of contents of very many hundred sparrows, and notes 

 of the results of the absence or presence of the bird in various 

 localities, and for various lengths of time, up to as much as 

 fifteen consecutive years or more. Some of these records are 

 given in this paper, in the hope of making them more generally 

 accessible, and that further observations, also undertaken by 

 properly qualified hands, may help to sound views on this 

 important subject. 



The most detailed account that is generally accessible of the 

 food of the house sparrow during each month of the year in 

 England is that given by the ornithologist, M. J. H. Gurney, of 

 Keswick Hall, near Norwich.* The table from which the follow- 

 ing information was prepared shows the contents of the 

 stomachs of 694 house sparrows. The dissections were made 

 by twelve or more qualified observers in various places, at regular 

 intervals throughout the whole year, the observations being 

 recorded under the heads of " Customary Food " and " Occasional 

 Food." 



Food of Adult Sparrows. 



January. Customary food. — Corn from stacks and poultry- 

 yards ; seeds of all kinds. Occasional food. — Refuse corn, 

 maize, and capsules of moss. 



February. Customary food. — Corn from stacks and poultry- 

 yards. Occasional food. — Seeds ; buds of gooseberries.f 



March. Customary food. — Corn, wherever they can get it. 

 Occasional food. — Young tops of peas, radish, cabbage, and 

 cauliflower ; seeds, freshly sown barley, and oats. 



April. Customary food. — Corn ; vegetable matter. Occa- 

 sional food. — Freshly sown barley, and oats ; oblong green seeds, 

 not identified ; caterpillars. 



May. Customary food. — Corn ; vegetable matter ; seeds. 

 Occasional food. — Young pea-pods and leaves of peas ; goose- 

 berry blossoms and young gooseberries ; small beetles ; cater- 

 pillars of the brimstone moth, and white cabbage butterflies ; 



* See "The House Sparrow." Messrs. W. Wesley & Son, 28 Essex 

 Street, Strand, London. Pp. 11-17. 



■f During January and February (1898) the gooseberries at Chiswick 

 have been entirely devastated by sparrows. aDd hardly had they finished 

 the gooseberries than they at once began on the plum blossom buds. 



