172 The Sparrow. 



of utter indifference whether the habitation in 

 question be a palace or a hovel. When, however, 

 it has the chance it infinitely prefers some nook 

 or corner of a house or out-building where it 

 can insure what to it are in reality necessities 

 rather than luxuries of life warmth and human 

 companionship. 



Admitting these facts, there is surely no cause 

 for wonder that London is the sparrow's paradise. 

 And again, admitting the self-assertiveness of the 

 bird and Bewick, by-the-bye, stated, quoting, 

 as he says, Buffon, that ""its familiarity and petu- 

 lance are disgusting" it is not surprising that 

 Londoners, or the great majority of them, have 

 decided that it is their only wild bird, and that 

 the rest of the world has agreed to accept their 

 dictum as absolutely true. 



As we have before stated this is an entire mis- 

 conception, as not only have very many birds of 

 different species their habitation in London, but 

 many, nay, most, of the migrants pay it literally 

 a flying visit. In the densely-populated parts of 

 the city and central London the sparrow carries 

 matters with a high hand, as it has practically 

 no rival. Here, indeed, we meet the true " London 

 sparrow," a distinct species of sparrow as some 

 apparently imagine, but in truth no other than 

 Passer domesticus, suffering from moral and 

 physical deterioration, the result of life in a 

 great city. 



The true "London sparrow" resembles in its 



