74 THE HOUSE SPARROW, 



about; and after considerable exertion they managed to secure their prize, 

 and to bring it, considerably mutilated however, by its endeavours to escape, 

 and their awkwardness, to Mr. Alexander Mitchell, who recognised the insect 

 as the "Death's Head." It struggled hard for liberty, and squeaked horribly, 

 displaying strength much greater than an ordinary Bat. At last it gave 

 in, and is now ranked among the spolia opirna of Mr. Mitchell, and the 

 Lepidoptera of Aberdeenshire. 



Aberdeen, January, l&o4. 



THE HOUSE SPARROW, {PASSER DOMESTWUS.) 



BY J. MC' INTOSH, ESQ. 



I AM well aware that ray present subject is rather inclined to be noisy, an<i 

 at times rather thievish, but there are few of us who are the least inclined 

 to balance the evil with the good. Well knowing that such is the case, I 

 will, in the present communication, show, or endeavour to show, or convince 

 those who are inclined to deal death and destruction around them, from igno- 

 rance and prejudice, that the humble Sparrow is not quite so bad as some 

 writer has been pleased in the following lines to designate him: — 



"Thievish and clamorous, hardy, bold, and base, 

 Unlike all others of tlie feathered race. 

 The bully!! of his tribe— to all beyond 

 The gipsy! beggar!! knave!!! and vagabond!!!!" 



This, reader, is a bad atid false sentence pronounced upon this bird by one 

 who appear to be totally unacquainted with its true character, and to whom 



I would say — 



"Reasoning at every step he treads, 

 Man yet mistakes his way; 

 While meaner things, whom instinct leads. 

 Are rarely known to stray." 



COWPER. 



The Sparrow is of the greatest use to the cultivator of the soil; if he was 

 not so, he, like his black persecuted neighbour, the Rook, would not be so 

 generally distributed over most parts of the world. It inhabits most European 

 countries — from the mountain chains of the Alps and Pyrenees, northwards 

 to the Arctic circle. He is not the less abundant in great cities than about 

 the rural homes of our cultivated districts. It has been the fashion of most 

 writers on the history and habits of this bird to brand it as an ugly and 

 vul«rar-looking bird, but this is really not the case. Take for example a rustic 

 cock Sparrow, examine his plumage, and, for a moment, consider how much 

 there is in that compact little frame, which would baffle the power of the 



wisest man to explain. 



"He who feels contempt 

 For any living thing, hath faculties 

 Tliat he hath never used, that thought with him 

 Is in its infancy." 



