82 
SPA.EKOW. 
Though thus intimate and social with his own kind, it 
was observed that this Sparrow was exceedingly shy and 
timid with respect to human beings; for, though many were 
witnesses to the above, they were obliged to keep at a dis¬ 
tance, and use great caution, otherwise he immediately flew 
away. The attention was carried on throughout the summer, 
and extended to the beginning of autumn, when the visits 
entirely ceased, whether intentionally on the part of the 
Sparrow, or that he met with some accident, could not be 
ascertained.’ 
‘That they will attend to their young, far beyond the 
usual period, in case of necessity, the following anecdotes 
will prove, though we believe many, if not most birds, will 
do the same under similar circumstances; the experiment 
may be easily tried, by slightly tying the wings of young 
birds, when nearly fledged, or confining them by a thread 
to the bottom of the nest, taking care not to injure them.’ 
Even, however, with any amount of care, T would not wish 
to see this done, even though but for a short time, as 
needless anxiety, at all events, would be caused both to the 
old and the young bird. 
‘A pair of Sparrows,’ says Mr. Graves, ‘had built their nest 
in a wall close to my house. X noticed that the old birds 
continued to bring food to the nest some time after the 
brood had left it. I had the curiosity to place a ladder 
against the wall, and looked into the nest, when, to my 
surprise, I found a full-grown bird which had got its foot 
entangled in some thread, which formed part of the nest, in 
such a manner as to prevent its leaving it with the rest. 
Wishing to see how much longer the old birds would feed 
their imprisoned offspring, I left the young one as X found it, 
and observed that the parents supplied it, during the whole 
of the autumn and part of the winter months; but the ( 
weather setting in cold very soon after Christmas, I was j 
afraid it would kill the young Sparrow, and therefore dis¬ 
engaged its leg. In a day or two it went with the old ones 
in search of food; but they continued to feed it till March,, 
and during the whole time they all nestled in the same 
spot.’ 
Xn the first volume of the ‘Zoological Journal,’ in a note 
to the fourteenth page, it is stated that a pair of Sparrows, 
which had built in the thatched roof of a house, were 
observed to continue their regular visits to the nest long 
