PASSER DOMESTICUS. 397 



The frosts of a Canadian winter or the suns of a Florida summer are all the 

 same to the sparrow. Not particular on its native soil, it is quite omnivorous 

 abroad. In spring it devours buds, blossoms, and foliage (?)* in summer 

 grain, cherries, currants, and strawberries form its staple diet ; in autumn 

 it takes tithes of grain, pears, peaches, and grapes. Nothing comes amiss 

 except insects. These it takes in homoeopathic doses, when nothing more is 

 at hand (?) Out of 522 shot for the purpose, whose stomachs were examined, 

 noxious insects were found in only 4-7, beneficial insects in 50, and species 

 of no importance in 31. When" the birds were shot in the vicinity of 

 Washington the shade trees were suffering from insect depredation. The 

 verdict of the Washington experts is against the sparrow, only a few 

 having a good word for the enemy. War, therefore, is waged against it — 

 by trap, and net, and poison, egg-breaking, and nest-burning, and by the 

 repeal of the laws passed for its protection. The edict has gone forth to 

 kill, and spare not. (As the children of Israel did to the Midianites.) 

 Massachusetts has excluded it from protection given to other birds. The 

 Michigan and Ohio Legislatures have passed Acts which offer bounties for 

 its destruction. New York declares it a misdemeanour to give food and 

 shelter to the little outlaw." 



But America is a large continent, so that, as in Australia, the 

 sparrow, like the Briton, may continue to enjoy free warren, for 

 there is no creature so perfect that has not faults. In his 

 " Eape of Lucrece," Shakespeare justly asks — 



" Why should the worm intrude the maiden bud ? 

 Or hateful cuckoos hatch in sparrows' nests ? 

 Or toads infect fair founts with venom mud ? 

 Or tyrant folly lodge in gentle breasts 1 

 Or Kings be breakers of their own behests? 



But no perfection is so absolute 



That some impurity doth not pollute." 



So I will finish with this poor lesson from a sparrow — 



To-day, upon my house-top sat 



A chattering cock sparrow ; 

 And such a coaxing wife he had 



For his beloved marrow. 

 They busy chatted ; long they sat ; 



Their note had nought of sorrow ; 

 For who co\ild think they crazed their pates 



With aught about to-morrow? 



Beneath them walked the lords of earth — 



And they might deem the arrow 

 Of their contempt — for man had just 



The mien of that cock sparrow. 

 What minded he for lordly man ? 



For black or red coat pretty ? 

 Though Newton's phiz had passed him by, 



He'd altered not his ditty. 



Man thinks that wisdom dwells with him — 



Conceited thought and narrow — 

 He's far excelled in real bliss 



By that same pert cock sparrow. 



I, too, was deceived, for on looking closer, I found it was the birds eating the caterpillars 

 that were destroying the foliage. 



