LONDON'S LITTLE BIRDS 113 



voice, the trivial catcliiiig melody, and, I had 

 almost added, the very words — 



So 'elp me bob, I'm crazy ! 

 Lizer, you're a daisy ! 

 Won't yer share my 'umble 'ome ? 

 Oh, Lizer ! sweet Lizer ! 



And so on, and on, until one of the birds in the 

 nest would come out and furiously chase him 

 away. Then he would sit on some chimney- 

 pipe twenty or thirty yards off, silent and solitary ; 

 but by-and-by, seeing the coast clear, he would 

 return and begin his passionate pleading once 

 more. 



This went on until the young birds were 

 brought out, after which they all went away for 

 a few days, and then the original pair returned. 

 Xo doubt 'Enry 'Awkins had got his undutiful 

 doner back. 



The individual sparrow is, however, little 

 known to us : we regard him rather as a species, 

 or race, and he interests the mass of people 

 chiefly in his social character when he is seen in 

 companies, and crowds, and multitudes. He is 

 noisiest and attracts most attention when there 

 is what may be called a ' shindy ' in the sparrow 



1 



