64 A R UFFIAN IN FEA THERS; 



was attracted by cries of infant distress, mingled with 

 harsh parental scolding. On looking out I saw great 

 excitenlent in the spruce : the mother hopping about with 

 an air of anxiety ; the father scolding his loudest, and 

 making constant raids to drive away intrusive neighbours 

 who collected in the next tree. An opera-glass brought 

 the scene near, and I saw at once the cause of the trouble. 

 A nestling had entangled one foot in the edge of the nest, 

 and hung head downwards, calling loudly for help. The 

 mother was evidently trying to coax him to ' make an 

 effort,' while the stern father was uttering dire threats if 

 he did not conduct himself in a more becoming manner. 

 The poor sparrowling struggled bravely, but every attempt 

 ended in failure, and the httle fluffy body drooped more 

 wearily after each trial. 



A life is a life, if it is but a sparrow's, and so greatly 

 were my sympathies aroused that I would have de- 

 spatched human help to the scene of che accident ; but the 

 tree was tall and slender, and the only available climber 

 was a young gentleman who would laugh to scorn the 

 demand. Nothing could be done but watch the move- 

 ments of the birds. 



The mother perched on a lower branch and stood 

 quiet, evidently aware that her lord and master would 

 settle the matter. That choleric individual made one or 

 two attempts to aid the youngster, seizing him by his 

 wide-open mouth, and pulling so violently that I thought 

 he would dismember him. All was of no avail. Neigh- 

 bours crowded nearer ; the tree was loaded wif.h interested 

 spectators, and the father grew more and more irritated, 

 till at last he seemed suddenly seized with an irresistible 

 frenzy. With the harshest 'chur-r-r' of which he was 

 capable, he pounced upon that unfortunate infant, seiz- 



