Page:Life in Java Volume 1.djvu/336

318 Lawoe to the west—on a spur of which some ancient ruins are still to be seen; and lastly, to complete the circle, the Whelis Lieman and others figure on the eastern side of the town.

In the Werengen trees, which studded the grounds of our host, were congregated myriads of Java sparrows. Neither before nor since have I seen such a number of those pretty little birds collected in one spot; and the noise they made was perfectly astounding. Before five in the morning they began to twitter; and then, as if by one consent, all deserted the tree to seek food in the paddy fields. The branches looked quite dotted with nests; for, like our common birds, they build quite close to the house, and breed as prolifically.

The impression generally prevalent among bird-fanciers, that a Java sparrow is incapable of singing, is erroneous. We have tried the experiment, and