Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-07-24
Cur Sparrow Visitors

The English sparrow Is in and all about
New York, Philadelphia, Boston. and other
cities. He will soon be West, and the fol.
lowing relating to him is interesting. A
lady says in an exchange
la a shady yard ia which the door from
our library opens. are to be seen large
numbers Of the English sparrow hopping
from bough to bough, now upon the ground
gathering up material for building their
nests, now upon the doorstep picking
crumbs that have been scattered for the
monday repaSt u was not always So
Only a few years since not bird was to be
seen in the yard and If one CHANGED to
light, he was so timid and frightened away
at the first approach OF footsteps.
Two or three years ago, a few smal
bird-houses were placed in the trees.
Soon a sIng'e pair of sparrows was seen
at the window Of one of the houses. Now
the chatter Of the large army of sparrows
drives away every thought of sleep after
the suns light begins to streak the east so
rapidly have they increased. \ close OBJ
server Of these birds informs Us that the
marriage contract among them lasts only
one year, and generally only through the
summer. During the winter they live a
life Of single blesscdncss In the spring.
the gentleman sparrow makes the acquaint-
ance Of one of the fair sex among his race.
and seeks, and woes, and wins her heart
The ceremony is simple, the outfit unos-
tentatious, and the wedding-tri Is eco
nomically short \ home Is the attractive
feature of married life among sparrows,
and without delay they begin TO construct
| their curiously y-wrought house. This com.
pieted, they commence the important busi-
ness Of housekeeping. None Of them
expect to board There are no Delmonicos.
or Grand Centrals, or Metropolitans or
Fifth Avenue Hotels among them They
keep no servants and make no display Of
living. They do their own work, and make
their own toilet
Their house completed, in a few days
the principal room, which serves as the
kitchen, diningroom, nursery and parlor,
Is made the receptacle of four exquisitey
beautiful little eggs. In three short weeks
the eggs gave place to four sprightly
sparrow babies. These pass rapidly
the period Of babyhood childhood and
youth, and soon arrive at the interesting
age Of manhood and womanhood, and
leave the paternal home to seek food and
shelter for themselves. No sooner are the
young folks out in the world, than the old
pair replenish their home with another
quadruple family The number Of quar-
tets reared and sent out during favorable
summer, is five or six, so that the happy
pair, by fall, making a due allowance for
deaths in infancy, find themselves the
proud parents Of about twenty sturdy
children. Here they dissolve the marriage
relation, spend the winter the best thew
can, and find themselves ready by spring
!, to WOO and be wooed and wed again. At
the end of the second summer, should the
old pair survive, and the old hymeneal
affection revive, and their children be for
tunate In choosing their mates, they would
find themselves the grandparents of over
four hundred saucy sparrow children.
The average length of tne sparrow's life
is about four years, Very few become
infrm and unable to care for themselves.
, None are allowed to be lazy among them.
, They must work for their living or die OF
starvation. The moment the young birds
} leave their nests the parantal affection
: dies. They seem to possess, in high de-
! gree, prominent trait of the human
, family. They love to be noticed. They
, will come at the whistle of the children,
and seem to enjoy their innocent sports.
; They will even eat from their hands. The
: louder the laugh of the children, the more
. musical the throats of the feathered SONGS
ters. They seem to know as we'll wher
: the family breakfast is finished as the
children do when it is ready, and they
: come as regularly and promptly, though
e there is no bell rung to call them. Man,
: lesson may be learned from these LITTLE
chirpers.