8 LONDON BIRDS 



the Sparrows. In London, at least, they are not pre- 

 vented by undue modesty from asserting their rights. 

 A gentleman was feeding with bread-crumbs a Wood 

 Pigeon in St. James's Park. One of the bird's feathers, 

 an under tail-covert, which was ruffled and out of place, 

 caught the eye of a Sparrow. The Sparrow flew down, 

 seized it in its beak, and pulled its best. The feather 

 did not yield at once, and the Pigeon walked off with 

 offended dignity. The Sparrow followed, still holding 

 on; and, in the end, flew off triumphant with the 

 trophy to its nest. ' Well ! if that don't take the cake 

 for cheek,' was the comment of a passing labourer. 



' I 'm ! ' Expressive silence completed the sentence, 



With the sentiment, if not with its expression, few will 

 be inclined to disagree. 



With all its ragged untidiness, few things are grander 

 in suggestion than a Sparrow's nest on Westminster 

 Abbey or St. Paul's. It carries one back to the days 

 when the author of the eighty-fourth Psalm watched 

 the birds building in the niches of Solomon's temple 

 or, more probably, looked back on with the eye of 

 memory only from exile by the waters of Babylon 

 and wrote, in words which have still all the freshness 

 of three thousand years ago, ' The Sparrow hath found 

 an house, and the Swallow a nest for herself, where she 

 may lay her young ; even thine altars, O Lord of Hosts, 

 my King, and my God.' The commonest Sparrows 

 in the Holy Land Passer Syriacus though not 

 actually the same, are almost identical with our own 

 House Sparrows. 



