INDIVIDUALITY IN A SPARROW
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sin,—While at lunch one day in April, 1921, I saw a sparrow running backwards and forwards on the sill of the fanlight above the glass door of my dining room facing south into the garden ; while he ran he tapped or peeked on the glass with all his strength. When I had finished lunch I opened the door and the bird flew to a tree branch twenty feet away and waited. I returned and shut the door and the bird also returned and resumed his occupation and continued it for I don't know how long. Next day, and each day for three weeks the proceeding was repeated. By that time a white line had appeared on the glass. It looked as if the bird had actually roughened the glass by his tapping, but a shower of rain washed the line away, so it was merely dried saliva ejected from the bird's beak. All that summer the performance was repeated almost daily and for such long bouts that I wondered when the bird found time to eat. He was absent during August and September, but returned in October and continued till late in November.
I regret that I had made no written notes of all this till then, but I began to do so in 1922. The records are too bulky for your pages, but I can send Sir W. Beach Thomas a copy if desired. Meantime I may summarize them as follows :— 1922 First visit of sparrow Jan. 2nd. Last visit Nov. 4th. 1923 PP „ 18th. Dec. 31st.
1924 PS „ 1st. „ Nov. 27th.
On November 28th there was a great storm and the sparrow came no- more. Nor has any other succeeded him.
Careful observation conducted for four years as above convinces me that the sparrow struck the glass for amusement. He liked making the noise, just as a child likes beating a drum.
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