a 
The flouse Sparrow. 31 
higher, one might say, “I wonder if a Sparrow has a 
nest there?” This bird often makes use of the house 
marten’s nest for its second or third brood, for it is a 
very common occurrence for these birds to have more 
than one brood in a year. Perhaps it seems hardly 
fair that the Sparrow, having such a strong bill, should 
make use of it in the way it does by taking possession 
of the marten’s nest by force ; but it appears that it is 
not only the Sparrow who takes possession of freeholds, 
but it is the case with other birds also; the old saying, 
“Might overcomes right,” might be justly applied here. 
I remember one fine spring morning seeing two 
* starlings going in and out of a hole under the roof of 
my father’s residence. I watched the proceedings, and 
saw the Sparrows try in vain to get possession, although 
I knew they had had the right of building there for 
| Veatspasy. at last, finding they were not strong 
- enough to gain the point, they flew off, but in a short 
time returned with a small party of their relations: 
they proved successful enough to drive away the star- 
lings, but in-about half an hour the starlings returned 
with an addition to their number, and drove away the | 
Sparrows; this seemed to satisfy the latter, and the 
starlings reared their young in the same hole that the 
6 
