180 THE HOUSE-SPARROW. 
together their fellows, and building him up in the 
nest, where he was left a prisoner amid his plun- 
der. But the gentleness of the martin is so great, 
that such an instance of poetical justice is more 
curious, than likely to occur a second time. But 
every summer the Sparrow lords it over the 
martin, and frequently drives it away by its im- 
pertinence. We watched his behaviour this year 
with a good deal of attention. Two pairs of 
martins came and built their nests beneath the 
eaves of the stable, near each other. Scarcely 
were the nests half finished, when several spar- 
rows were seen watching on the tiles close to 
them, chirping loudly, and conceitedly, and every 
now and then flying at the martins. ‘The nests, 
however, were completed; but no sooner was 
this done, than the sparrows took possession of 
them, and lined them with coarse hay, which is 
an abomination to the martin, which lines its nest 
with the softest feathers, Having witnessed this, 
we waited for about ten days, by which time 
we supposed the sparrows would have laid their 
full number of eggs; and a ladder was set up, in 
order to inflict just retribution on them, by taking 
