The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-01-04

Il word for
re Ell ~" said suburb
'ftfe. So. have had 20 change my
l-.ind I'm afraid did not know the
EnglisA sparrow after all.
An old fashioned grape vine clam
bers over the lattice work of a back
porch that a window at which / sit
great deal looks out upon. The
porch is not more than eight feet wide,
and so was surprised this spring 10
see pair OF robins preempt nook
among the branches OF the grape vine
and make preparations for building
their nest there, almost within reach
of where sat.
II sat there every day and watched
the progress of that nest building,
Z from the wonderful weaving of the
outer walls with straws and sticks and
bits of string. the fashioning of them
into the strong and symmetrical rim
of the cuplike interior to the lining
of this softer and warmer material.
From the beginning OF the neat
building by the robins noticed that
groups of sparrows watched the pro-
gress of the work. twittering all the
time cheerily and evidently greatly
interested in the proceedings, but not
once exhibiting any hostility toward
the robins, which | had always been
told were especially attacked by the
pugnacious sparrows and persistentfy
driven away by them. This conduct
Of the sparrows pleased me-
Instead of pitching into the robins
and driving them away said /, the
sparrows are actually cheering them
on and encouraging them. How easy
it is to give thing bad name!'
''The robins at last finished their
nest, and the female began her laying.
The time came when the female robin
remaining on the nest showed that
her eggs were all In the nest and she
had begun their incubation.
Then the utter wickedness of SPAR
rows was revealed to me. This was
the time they had been waiting for.
Nothing could be palmer. for poor
Mrs. Robin b d settled herself on her
eggs but very short time when, as
II by prearrangement. sparrows came
bouncing down upon her from every
direction, their cheerful chirping
changed to vicious shrieks The rob-
in, taken by surprise by this fierce
and sudden assault, made a desperate
effort to defend herself and her home,
aided by her mate. who came hurried
ly to the spot from his perch in an
adjacent apple tree.
very soon the two birds were
routed by the overpowering number
of sparrows and were chased away by
them. The robins alighted In tree
on the edge of the garden and made
frequent and frantic essays at return
ing to the vine as with the hope Of
recapturiHg their home, but were each
time met by a horde Of sparrows and
driven back.
Meantime another set of the vic
ious little marauders were busy at
dismantling the robins nest. They
tumbled the pretty eggs out of the
nest and smashed them on the porch
Z floor. and then picked and tore at the
nest until they had big hole through
the bottom of 1t and its sides were
broken and ragged. The work of ruin
complete, the sparrows seemed to exult
over their dastardly work.
with the departure of the sparrows
from the vine the robins ventured
back to the scene and not sparrow
anterfered with their return. The
grief of the robins was pitiful to see,
and after fiuttering about their ruined
home a while and inspecting 1t while
the sparrows watched them from all
sides. ehattering like 30 many little
Gends In enjoyment of the discomfi- /,
ture of the robins. the despoiled pair
few to the apple tree, sat there few
moments In silent and mournful con-
temptation of the wreck of their home
and hopes and then few away and
came back no more.
'That the sparrows had daily
watched that pair of robins patiently
build their nest and waited until the
eggs had been deposited In the aeet,
twittering and chirping cheerily mad
encouragingly at them as the work I
progressed, so that the work of de-
struction they were intending in their
wicked little hearts might be the more
overwhelming and complete. had mo-
more doubt than that the nest was
built.
1T was case of premeditated van
dalism OF the most heartless kind and
not only changed my opinion OF the
English sparrow but changed 1t 50
thoroughly that | am scattering lead
among them now with a shotgun in
stead of crumbs with my hand
New York Sun.