ioo THOSE OTHER ANIMALS. 



Contenting himself with the shelter of a bush, he fluffs out 

 his feathers, and reduces himself into the smallest compass, 

 so that he is almost unrecognisable as the alert little bird 

 with long neck and sprightly movements that we know in the 

 summer. His confidence in the goodwill of man in the time 

 of his distress is touching. Blackbirds, starlings, and thrushes 

 will come to share the feast man throws out ; but they never 

 lose their fear of him, and are ready to take flight at the first 

 sign of his presence. The sparrow and the robin will alone 

 hold their ground, will light on the window sill fearlessly, 

 and will, if encouraged, even come into the room through 

 the open window; and the man must be hard of heart 

 indeed who will refuse to give them the little they need to 

 save them from perishing. Fortunately for the sparrow, 

 his flesh is not particularly toothsome, and there is but little 

 of it. Were it otherwise, it is to be feared that he would 

 not be spared ; but that as Goths are found capable of 

 devouring that charming songster, the lark, still less respect 

 would be shown to the friendly sparrow. 



Doubtless, the bird would be a less imposing national 

 emblem than the eagle, especially when the latter is adorned 

 with two or three heads; but he would be at least as re- 

 spectable a one. A cock sparrow rampant would be a not 

 unfitting emblem of the push, the energy, the hardiness, the 

 pluck, and the domesticity of the Englishman ; and even its 

 self-sufficiency and its cockiness should not be taken amiss 

 by a nation who are, by the general consent of mankind, the 

 most arrogant and self-sufficient people upon earth. Should 

 anything happen to put us out of conceit with the lion, we 

 cannot do better than instal the sparrow in his place upon 

 the national arms. 



