Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-21

| Few moments TO watcn
| "A ". ~ them.
| RSA Passers-by said: 'Jus,
~ see those birds hght
IA. Did you ever see such
quarrelsome things?"
| But 1t was not true that they were fighting,
though 1t did seem AZ if they were all set
| ting upon one of their number most unmerci-
fully, 30 that any casual observer might have
said that it was cowardly piece Of bullying.
As matter Of fact, the apparent victim Of the
attack was hen bird. and the rest were all
cocks. rivals in amorous pursuit of her. When
you behold such scrimmage among sparrows,
I you may always take it for granted that the
situation is Of this nature. II you observe at
tentively. you will notice that the smulous
lovers are not trying, to hurt the female. though
on her part she pecks ut them hercely and
often woundingly. just as a coy young girl will
perchance bestow a ruthless slap upon the
youth whose attentions are too demonstrative.
Human beings are only birds without feathers.
Sparrows do fight on occasions. They are
very aggressive and combative creatures But
their quarrels are usually fought out on the
principle Of the duello. Only two are engaged
and they go for one another with beak and
claw until one Of them 10 disabled, or, as often
happens, left dead upon the field Of battle.
They may spar like two rOosters for q brief
space. but almost Immediately they clinch. one
gets his adversary down and the result is soon
declared. Chinese sports train sparrows for
fighting, sharpening the bills to make those
weapons more formidable.
Although the sparrow runs after other hen
| birds on occasions, he has But one wife and
mate, who lays his eggs for him and keeps the
nest at home. He begins making love to her
about this time in the year, or little later,
dancing around her with head and tail in the
air. to show her what pretty fellow he is, and
cbatteriAR "a
ventional enough ir themselves, but gratifying
to her vanity. After the marriage the pair lose
| no time in setting up housekeeping, for they
must rear five or six families before next
| these domestic cares on his shoulders is as
cheerful and clipper as any gay bachelor
dicky bird might be.
HOW WASHINGTON sPARRows LIVE.
The sparrows of Washington spend nine
tenths Of their time. between coming of the
roost at daybreak and going to bed, in pecking
about the droppings of the horses in the streets.
Horses are fed largely on grain and much Of
this Ia not entirely digested by the animals, SO
7 thah the 6ttds find plenty Of provender. When
r hasitsfk lowered with snow and the droppiugs
are quickly frozen, the sparrows are apt to go
hungry. In wet times they are fond of bath
ing, a lot Of them together in the puddles, and
when it Is dry they enjoy dust baths also.
When they are not eating or bathing they are
preening themselves and attending to their
toilet But considerable part of what he finds
that is edible must be taken by Mr.. sparrow
to bis nest in nesting time and fed
to his offspring. which are being
Matched out brood after brood all through the
warm season, in patches Of from four to seven,
light. About dusk each day, when it is time
to 60 TO perch, the little birds gather in the
parks and other roosting places from all direc-
lions II you will SO through Lafayette Square
st that hour this evening you will find thou
sands and thousands Of them there, all chatter
ing in chorus and making that wonderful
grovs Of trees vociferous with their small
voices. You might suppose that they wers
holding convention, but il is merely that
they are given to talking when they are to-
gether being sociablo fowls in a high sense Of
| the term.
LARGE FAMILIES.
Some mamma sparrows take pride in rear
ing the biggest possible families and % keep
on laying eggs all the time. the result being
that in the same nest will occasionally be found
together full-hedged young, two or three in
less advanced stages Of development and eggs
/ Of XaripAS degrees Of incubation, some fresh
bHpJ other about to be Matched. BY adopting
| this ingenious method the mother bird makes
her growing offspring assist by the warmth of
their bodies in Matching the yet unbroken eggs,
keeping them at proper temperature while
| she gets time in this way to procure food. The
system 10 on the same principle ~ that COM
monty pursued in tenement house districts,
where small children OF three or four years are
considered old enough to nurse the newest
babies In both cases its operation has a
marked tendency to accelerate the increase of
| population that is apt to be regarded az of a
| surplus nature. Assuming the annual progeny
| Of pair of sparrows to be twenty-four and
that all live, together with their offspring in
ten years the descendants Of the original male
and female viii. number more than 275 OOO,-
600, 900.
| INTELLIGENT AND CUNNING.
The sparrow is bird Of much intelligence
and more than ordinary cunning. By keeping
close to man it not only obtains food in plenty.
but renders itself secure against nearly all of
the foes which attack and check the increase of
other species. II is generally supposed that
cats catch many sparrOws, but this is not true
Centuries OF experience, developing this bird
| into parasite upon man, have taught it wis
dom, and it is probable that pussy has better
success in catching the wsriest Of the native
birds than in pursuing the sparrow. Even the
young are not often captured. The birds which
Are hostile to the sparrow, killing it and eating
| its eggs such a. the shrikes, the hawks and the
jays, are not often found In the cities. II In a
| rule in the animal kingdom that excessive null
tipiication tends to disease, and nearly all ami
sites which reduce their numbers when
they become very abundant. But moth
| ing Of this kind Is known among the sparrows.
which seem to be the hardest and healthiest OF
birds. 1t il true that albinism 10 quite COM
mon among them, presumably in CONSEQUENCE
OF living under more or less unnatural condi-
tions, specimens wholly or partly white being
not infrequently seen. Sparrows are sometimes
killed Wholesale BY long spell of severe cold
which deprives them Of food. In some cases
violent storms Of rain or hail with wind have
destroyed Thousands Of the birds together, par
| tioularly where they have been assembled in
great focks ct roosting places.
HIS ADAPTABILIrY.
Equally with its fecundity the adaptability
of the sparrow TO all sorts of circumstances
and conditions has helped it to spread 20 re-
msrkably over this country. II can live ON
| grain or get along entirely without it. II there
| Ia nothing vegetable on hand it IL content with
| meat or other animal food. Any climate snits
| grain eater by nature and preference 1t always
1nds in the streets the food it likes best which.
having been partly digested by the horses,
serves admirably for the young nestlings. In
. tewn these birds find not only provsnder in
plenty, but also shelter and the best possible
nesting places in the hooks and crannies about
buildings. Where other species are not satisfied
1 with any but o nest OF precisely such and
such shape and structure, the sparrows think
/ any hole good enough and . lining of straw or
any soft material sufficient furnishing. At
harvest time they 20 out into the wheat fields
Of the country, II mot too far away, perhaps
returning ct night to roOst. When food be-
comes scarce OF nesting places insufficient in
number they extend their operations and
dwelling places into the rural vicinage or along