WHEATEAR 



CHAPTER III 



BLUE THRUSHES 



" Even as it were a sparrow, that sitteth alone on the 

 housetop." 



SOUTHERN Europe is the home of what the 

 Italians call the Passera So/haria, the bird that 

 is credited with the honour of being the sparrow 

 of the Psalmist, that sitteth alone upon the house- 

 top, and his Italian name seems to bear this out. 

 Europe is his nesting-home, where, in Italy and Switzer- 

 land more especially, the mountains tower up with the 

 snow glistening on their summits against an azure 



