Narcissistic Sparrow

At Britain's Rydal School lives a cock sparrow which, in the solemn opinion of one K. G. Britton (as communicated to Nature), is badly in need of psychiatric attention.

Every day, reported Letter Writer Britton, the sparrow comes to a certain window and pays vigorous court to its image in the glass. At first it flew at the glass and pecked sharply. Then it took to fetching pieces of food, which it tried to push through the glass. Sometimes it cuddles against the glass and croons.

It is no rare thing for a bird or a dog to twitter, bark or glare at its reflection (see cut). But unlike most such birds & beasts, the Rydal sparrow disdains all other windows and reflectors. So infatuated is the sparrow that it utterly ignores other sparrows, despite their "auxiliary attractions of smell and song."

"Surely," concludes Briton Britton, "this action cannot be purely instinctive. It argues a mental maladjustment. . . ."

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