44 
NATURE NOTES. 
the one cock helping each hen to build alternately. As I did not 
want the sparrows there but starlings, I turned out the nests. 
In spite of all ]\Ir. F. O. IMorris’s indignation and the epithets 
that he bestows on IMr. Edwards, I must say — and that from 
actual observation after a number of years — that I entirely side 
with J\lr. Edwards as regards that most useful and homely bird, 
the marten, and also generally in his statements. 
Now as to the food given to the young sparrows, I have 
taken much trouble to ascertain this. When very young they 
are fed on aphis, if it is to be got — if not, young buds of the 
plum and gooseberry and other trees are taken. I was told 
(as I expected) that all these buds had insects in them, so I 
netted some trees and bushes here and there, and limed some 
others. Those not netted had scarcely any fruit, those limed 
some quantity, and the netted ones an excellent crop. I may 
add that all the trees were “ set for bloom ” equally well. The 
sparrows also feed their young on seeds — radish, parsnip, and 
wheat or grain from the poultry j^ards — in proof of which I refer 
the reader to IMr. Morris’s British Birds (vol. ii. p. 285). In fact 
I was obliged, to give up feeding my poultry on wheat, the 
sparrows coming in such numbers. What are the wire sparrow 
guards for peas sold for if not to protect the young growths from 
the sparrows ? The sparrows also picked off aU the flowers of 
my yellow crocus as soon as they appeared, and every year — 
even until this last — they picked off all my primrose blooms. I 
have watched them doing it times without number. In fact, in 
the garden they do more actual mischief than any other half- 
dozen birds that I know put together, with the exception of the 
bullfinch. I did not shoot my sparrows ; they congregated in 
the laurels. I bought squibs, crackers, &c., fired off a gun under 
them ; not a bit of it, back they came and roosted as before ; 
they would not go. I would very gladly be rid of them, though 
so much is said in their favour, for the harm they do in many 
ways far exceeds the good. 
I feed numbers of birds here every day, and I note frequently 
the sparrows driving away the blue tits and the blackbirds. They 
vattack the thrushes. I have seen them drive away a nuthatch 
that came, and have frequent quarrels with my starlings. The 
poor little hedge-accentor dares not come for any food until the 
sparrows are gone, nor often the robins, for two or three will 
attack him at one time, then his chance of defence is gone. 
Harrison Weir, F.R.H.S. 
Sevenoahs. 
P.S. — Miss Isabel Fry appears to think that the sparrow- 
hawk feeds entirely on sparrows. Would that it were so ! 
’Tis a beautiful bird, this sparrow-hawk, and I have derived 
much pleasure in watching them in their wild state ; but when 
they built a nest near my grounds, and reared a number of 
young ones on my young chicken, taking over twenty of them. 
