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Sparrow, House- (Page 14). — “The common sparrow!" — 
What a world of contempt is expressed with the very mention of 
this familiar bird’s name! And why? “So common ! " “So 
destructive!” “And such a nuisance, with his perpetual noisy 
chirp." There is no doubt that the flocks of sparrows which vi>it 
the fields of cut and ripening grain every autumn consume a certain 
amount, and perhaps an odd bird or so does destroy fruit-blossom 
in the spring. Hut, on the other hand, “ What of all the good they 
do during a season ? ” The amount of grubs, caterpillars, beetles, 
etc., that a single sparrow destroys would do infinitely more harm to 
the gardener and farmer than any number of sparrows. In proportion 
to his size, the sparrow has more brain than any other member 
of the feathered tribe. There is no question about his requiring it, 
for his acuieness alone saves him from the ever-threatening doom at 
the hand of his biggest enemy (and benefactor), man ! 
The nesting-habits of the sparrow are familiar to all. Whether 
the nest is under a roof, in a hole in a wall, in thick ivy, in a 
haystack, or in a hedge, it is never difficult to find and examine the 
four or five greyish-white eggs, spotted and speckled with varying 
amounts of black and brown. 
Swan, Mute (Page 40). — Although the swan is not, strictly 
speaking, a wild bird, it is nevertheless to be found roaming about 
during the winter in a perfectly wild state. During hard or even 
very bleak weather the old birds, in addition to the unpaired young, 
collect to feed on the most sheltered and open waters. In certain 
favoured parts it is not an uncommon sight to see twenty or thirty 
swans busily feeding here to-day, while they will be miles away the 
next day. 
It is a wonderful sight to see a flock of swans taking flight. On 
rising from the surface of the water, they circle round the lake two 
or three times until they attain a fair height, and then strike off in a 
straight line with their long necks fully extended. The first im- 
pression received on unexpectedly seeing swans on the wing is that 
they are some species of birds flying “backwards"! Their 
extremely long thin necks thrust straight out, wings far back on 
the large body, and apparently no tail, all tend to give something 
totally different from what we would expect from the stately swan. 
The swan builds each season a new nest, which is very large, and 
placed on a small island, or floats amongst the rushes growing on 
the water’s edge. It is generally in their third ytar that young 
birds start laying. Three eggs is an average number for the first 
clutch. In the majority of cases the clutch is increased by one egg 
each successive season, until in the fifth breeding season seven eggs 
are laid — this forming the usual number for an old bird. In some 
exceptional cases, however, a single bird has been known to produce 
twelve eggs in one season. Should there be a weakling in the brood 
of cygnets, the old male bird will kill and bury it, rather than see it 
lag behind its brothers in developing. 
Swift (Pages 25-28). — The swift is the largest of the members of 
the swallow family which visit our shores annually. It can always 
be distinguished by its size and superior powers of flight. The swift 
is of a dull black or brownish colour unrelieved by any quantity of 
white (as are the swallows and martins). It has very large eyes and 
a mouth that reaches “from ear to ear." 
