The House 
Sparrow. 
(170) THE BIRD WORLD. 
The House Sparrow. 
This bird is thoroughly republican in 
its nature, considering itself to have an 
equal right of existence with other mem¬ 
bers of the creation. Intensely self- 
reliant, the sparrow contrives to exist 
under even the most exceptional circum¬ 
stances, and, though ordinarily well- 
behaved, can at times show himself a 
most pugnacious fellow, and when 
oppressed will valiantly assail birds 
much larger and stronger than himself, 
such as Starlings, Jackdaws, and even 
Rooks. Unlike the rest of the Finch 
tribe, the Sparrow has no song worthy 
of the name, and therein differs most 
exceptionally from the Goldfinch, whose 
tuneful twitter, culminating in a clear 
well-marked phrase full of metallic 
beauty, and ending in a lengthened 
“tweet” uttered in an ascending scale, 
is one of the prettiest songs possessed 
by the Finches. The Sparrow invari¬ 
ably chooses its home near the habita¬ 
tions of man; and in early spring may 
often be heard and seen fighting 
desperately for the possession of 
some favoured female Sparrow beauty, 
who, with the conqueror, at once 
starts housekeeping. The nest, is 
a mystery, and is composed at times 
of most extraordinary materials, some 
of which, especially the feathers, must 
have been carried for miles. Straw, 
hay, wood, and feathers are, however, 
the main materials. The food of the 
Sparrow includes almost everything it 
meets with that is eatable. The reason 
of its systematic destruction some years 
past was because of the harm done by 
it in eating the buds of fruit-trees, 
notably gooseberries and red currants. 
Somewhat like the Bullfinch, this prac¬ 
tice seems at times due to pure wanton¬ 
ness, as the Sparrow will even pull prim¬ 
roses and other flowers to pieces, where 
but little chance of food exists. Again, 
towards the'end of summer, sparrows 
become somewhat gregarious, and do 
considerable damage to the ripe corn; 
but against this formidable list the 
Sparrow can show much good done by 
eating insects and the seeds of many 
obnoxious weeds; whilst the number of 
insects taken to feed its young is almost 
incredible. 
Birds at the Zoo. 
Birds of various sorts are well to the 
front just now at the Zoo. The new 
small birds’ house where tropical and 
sub-tropical birds, formerly lost in the 
motley and clangour of the Parrots’ 
house, can now be observed with com¬ 
fort both to inhabitants and visitors, is 
a great matter. Of Birds of Paradise 
one has now been more than two ye~rs 
in the Gardens, and has gone success¬ 
fully through the trial of moulting; and 
a welcome novelty is found in the 
presence, this year for the first time, of 
a twelve-wired Bird of Paradise, and 
new comers also are two pairs of King 
Birds of Paradise. Then there are 
manifest improvements in the outdoor 
aviaries opposite the monkey-house. 
The birds have a far better time than 
heretofore, by reason of far better pro¬ 
vision of covert, water, rushes, and so 
on. So is it also with the Waders’ 
aviary, which is now more than ever 
like a glimpse of seashore in fairyland, 
where may be seen by good fortune 
some Red-shank chicks running about 
in the reeds and a baby Avocet, whose 
devoted parents will not brook any in¬ 
trusion by other birds into the little 
space of water they have appointed for 
a nursery. The small Avocet is most 
engaging, and has an air of stately 
abstraction. Just opposite to this al¬ 
ways engrossing aviary one may note 
how markedly the Flamingoes have im¬ 
proved in colour since their removal to 
their new habitat. 
