OCCASIONAt. NOTES. to- 



ing our hearts with their melodious and never-dying song? Why? It may be 

 asked; and echo answers, Why? 



If men who wish to record facts connected with Natural History, were 

 to lay aside their fatal gun and love of slaughter, and encourage the pres- 

 ence of these beautiful, and not more beautiful than useful, little creatures,, 

 by allowing them to remain unmolested, where they long '•lived and loved 

 together," we should not have to deplore so frequently the ''shyness," 

 "scarcity," and, I may add, the total desertion of many species from lo- 

 calities In which they formerly used to abound. 



"Havoc among the Sparrows." Here is a specimen of the result of a 

 "little knowledge" of Natural History. A paragraph which found its way 

 Into several Journals headed as above, and runs as follows: — "We under- 

 stand that the Nallsea Association for the destruction of Sparrows and other 

 small birds, have offered several prizes, to be awarded on Easter Monday 

 next, at the Royal Oak Inn, Nallsea, to the person who shall produce the 

 largest number of heads of small birds." Now I should really like to know If 

 the members of this grain -begrudging association Intend having the heads 

 of these small birds dished up to them for supper at the Royal Oak Inn, 

 if so they must be singular epicures to set their stomachs upon such tiny 

 morsels, when they could purchase a dozen sheep's heads for half-a-dozen 

 shillings, which would yield them a much more ample meal, and, moreover, 

 would be better representatives of their own craniums. If the bird-catchers 

 and other celebrated notorieties were to sally forth with trap and gun, and 

 succeed In destroying all the "Sparrows and other small birds" in the 

 neighbourhood of Nallsea, I would not sympathise with the farmers for the 

 loss that some of their crops would surely sustain, from the ravages of in- 

 sects in various stages, which constitute the principal food of these outlawed, 

 "mischievous," birds. Surely there does not exist a Natural History Society 

 in Nallsea? If there did, I should suppose that soq e one of its members 

 would take upon him to plead the Sparrow's cause \ in open court." And 

 as he would be well acquainted with his client's character and mode of 

 life, and by placing his petty pilfering tricks, (for it must be admitted he 

 as some faults — who has not?) In juxtaposition with his interesting habits 

 and useful qualities, I may venture to predict that Mr. Sergeant Sparrow- 

 friend would not have pleaded in vain. And there Is no doubt but when 

 the members of that shameful association become better acquainted with, 

 the habits and economy of the objects of their destructiveness, they will 

 feel inclined to be better friends in future. 



If they read Buffbn's account of this self-same Sparrow, they will see 

 that he estimates a single pair of these "mischievous" birds to destroy 

 no less than four thousand caterpillars In a week. What then must be 

 the number collected by the Sparrow population, in the neighbourhood of 



