48 THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



Coues, ' we have these ammated manure machines, as 

 every house-owner knows to his cost.' 



In London, as we have the largest population — ' with- 

 out feathers,' as Carlyle says, — so have we the largest 

 sparrow population of any city in the world. We have 

 counted a hundred at "one time upon the grass in the 

 Temple Gardens, to say nothing of hundreds upon the 

 trees and the surrounding roofs ; and it was pretty to see 

 ,them. 



The grounds of Lambeth Palace, where, twenty years 

 ago, were to be found thrushes, blackbirds, chaffinches, 

 and other country birds, now swarm with nothing but 

 sparrows. The gardens in our suburbs, where formerly 

 other birds were common — or not uncommon — have now 

 nothing but sparrows. An occasional visitor is seen — a 

 robin, wren, or titmouse, but it disappears in a day or 

 two. It is a belief that this is due entirely to the increase 

 of sparrows. As Londoners, this is nearly our only 

 grudge against them : we feed them well."' 



* In severe winters a variety of beautiful strangers re-appear 

 and appeal not in vain to our charity. The greatest number was 

 in the severe winter of 1880-81. We had then in our garden 

 (Clapham) thrushes, blackbirds, red-wings, chaffinches, bullfinches, 

 robins, wrens, and titmice, and starlings in great number. 



