THE SPARROW 83 



not equally noticeable wherever it is met with, 

 but whereas at home it becomes almost a pest from 

 its numbers, here it is not so noticeable, and its 

 jaunty, sprightly air and carriage are often in 

 agreeable contrast to the depressing squalor and 

 monochrome, dismal surroundings. So here it gets 

 blessings and not cursings poured on its head, and 

 no one calls it " Avian Rat," or any other rude 

 name. I have pictured it as I often saw it, 

 playing in and out of the decorated temple walls, 

 in a cleft of which possibly it was born, and the 

 pictures of which it can honestly say it has been 

 familiar with from earliest childhood. One cannot 

 help but speculating, does the Sparrow recognize 

 in the painting its arch-enemy, for the pictured 

 Hawk shown may well, as far as form is concerned, 

 be meant for a Sparrow Hawk ; which Hawk, true 

 to its name, takes daily toll of all small birds and of 

 Sparrows in particular. I remember well one day 

 at the Ramaseum where I was painting — the quick 

 passing shadow and the instant silencing of the 

 cheery chattering of a host of Sparrows that were 

 all sitting on a small bush just near me, and look- 

 ing up, I saw a Sparrow Hawk dash away with a 

 Sparrow in its talons, whilst the others were 

 flying precipitately away in all directions. The 



