194 THE SMALLER BRnliill BIRDS. 



latter. "A villnge witliout Sparrows/' says Macgillivraj', "has as deso- 

 late an aspect as a house without children; but fortunately for the 

 worldj the one is nearly as rare as the other. Multitudes of these 

 birds in a place are indicative of its prosperity, for where there are 

 few crumbs there will bo few beggars." 



A description of the plumage of the Sparrow would be quite un- 

 necessary, and indeed almost an insult to the powers of observation 

 of our readers, but we may remark, that the country bird, with the 

 rich brown of the upper parts of his body, the black of his throat, 

 and the white bands on his wings, bears but little resemblance to the 

 dingy smoke-begrimed inhabitant of the city. 



Although the Sparrow exhibits so little fear of man that it will 

 permit his approach to within a few feet, it is at the same time very 

 wary and alert, and no sooner catches sight of an elevated gun, or 

 even a stick held in a similar position, than it darts off to what it 

 considers a safe distance. " It is often remarked," says Bishop Stanley, 

 "what impudent birds are Loudon Sparrows! and not without reason. 

 Born and bred in the bustle of the town, they must either live and 

 jostle with the crowd, or look down from the house-tops and die of 

 hunger. Naturally enough, they prefer the former; and all our London 

 readers will, we are sure, testify to the cool intrepidity with which this 

 familiar bird will pounce upon a bit of bread, or some other tempting 

 morsel which happens to catch its eye upon the pavement, and with 

 what triumph and exultation it bears it off to its mate, seated on some 

 window-sill or coping-stone above, or followed, perhaps, by three or 

 four disappointed companions, who were a moment too late in seizing 

 the spoil. A Sparrow is not only bold with regard to men, but still 

 more so on particular occasions towards other birds. On the edge of 

 a certain lawn grew a close thick bush. On this lawn, amongst others, 

 the Blackbirds used to come and forage for worms. One day a person 

 happened to be looking at a Blackbird in the act of making off with 

 a prize, wheu a Sparrow, darting from the thick bush, instantly assailed 

 the Bltickbird, and compelled him to drop the worm, of which he took 

 immediate possession. So singular a circumstance induced the observer 

 to look out now and then when Blackbirds came, and he frequently 

 saw the same piratical practice adopted by the Sparrow, who thus, by 

 keeping watch in the bush, was enabled to enrich himself on the labours 

 of the larger bird." 



At the pairing season a great deal of fighting and quarrelling takes 

 place, although blood is rarely spilt. A battle commenced by two 

 rival males is often taken part in by half a dozen of the spectators; 

 all of them apparently pecking at each other iadiscrimiuately, and 



