The House Sparrow. 



155 



Blackbirds, and Thrashes ; but when they do so, it is seldom 

 singly, but in nunabers. 



The House Sparrow is among the first of the feathered race 

 to rejoice and make merry at the approach of spring. The 

 male bird goes in search of a partner to share his joys 

 and tribulations, and, when he finds the object of his 

 choice, forthwith proceeds to win her, if possible ; but, as 

 with human beings, so it is with birds, and the old adage 

 holds equally true in both cases : " True love never did run 

 smooth ;" and the Sparrow, as well as many a disappointed 

 biped, finds to his mortification that the female, as well as 

 himself, has the right to select and choose, and resent the 

 advances of any ardent admirer of whom she does not alto- 

 gether approve. In such cases, it generally happens that the 

 hen has already bestowed her affections on a more fortunate 

 admirer ; then a battle ensues. But a hen faithful to her love 

 will not even accept the conqueror if it is not the bird of 

 her choice. At other times, a hen seems to encourage a 

 combat, and accepts the conqueror, when a wedding at once 

 takes place, amid a din of voices, and a fluttering and chat- 

 tering of a most excited kind. After the ceremony, the 

 newly-wedded pair scamper off with their friends. Some- 

 times two females fall in love with the same male, and 

 settle their differences in a similar fashion, the male bird 

 looking on coolly, and with evident patience, as long as 

 the fight lasts, and at its conclusion starts off with the 

 heroine, leaving the vanquished combatant, sore and bleeding, 

 to seek some quiet retreat until her bruises are healed. 



Diseases and their Treatment. — The House Sparrow is 

 a robust, lusty bird, seldom out of order. It is, however, 

 sometimes affected by skin disorders, through over-eating. 

 When this is the case, wash the parts affected every day with 

 a solution made of one part of Goulard's Extract to two of 

 water, until the disease disappears. If the bird is found 

 drooping at any time, give it a little white bread, soaked 

 in warm milk, with a sprinkling of maw seed, and if the 

 weather be warm, hang it out in the sun, and give it a 

 bath. This treatment will soon cure the disease. 



