

392 Hamish Nicol —“ Little Joan ,” a Baby Sparrow


In the evening she perched on the swing in the cage, and I covered

her up at night.


On Tuesday I found her dead at the bottom of the cage.


So ended a short but, I hope, a happy life.


The P.M. findings showed inflammation of the bowel, with ulceration

of the mucus membrane.


I have had many birds, some of them very tame, but never such a

sweet confiding little thing as this one.


We had got very fond of her, and her death distressed us very much.


This is the fifth Sparrow I have tried to rear. All but one have

died. The one that lived was somewhat older than the others. I let

her go as soon as she was strong on the wing, as she would not settle

down in a cage.


I think all these young birds one finds at this time of the year,

those who cannot fly, are probably sick birds. That is probably why

one cannot rear them.


I am very fond of Sparrows. I think they are more clever than

any other little birds. A friend of mine who was very keen on his

garden did not like Sparrows. He set a trap for them. It was a sort

of eel trap. He never caught a single Sparrow ! He caught many

Robins. He watched the trap, and noticed the Sparrows going in

and out. They would eat all the food they could pack in, and carry

off as much as they could manage, and then come back for more !


If any member of the Society can give me some tips as to feeding

baby Sparrows I shall be grateful.


[Sparrows of the year may be captured in hundreds by means of the ee]

type of trap—there are no more easy birds to trap; but once they have

become adult they have acquired wisdom and are most difficult to

catch.—E d.]



