176 The Sparrow. 



a spot suitable for a good dust bath, the sparrow's 

 greatest luxury. This is, however, a "London 

 sparrow," though not so tame, and therefore not 

 so impudent, as its city brother. In fact, while 

 having little fear of man, there is more of the 

 true wild bird about it, due, no doubt, to its sur- 

 roundings and to the fact that it is not so directly 

 dependent on man for food. It can, if so minded, 

 obtain a change of diet; and, while not believ- 

 ing in the sparrow as an insect-eater, and there- 

 fore a benefactor to man, as some of its more 

 ardent friends and admirers would have us believe, 

 we must admit as a well-known fact that it does, 

 when they are obtainable, eat, and no doubt enjoy, 

 a few insects. Who, indeed, has not seen it on 

 a hot summer day fluttering ludicrously in the 

 air in an apparently frantic endeavour to emulate 

 the fly-catcher. 



Another advantage that the suburban sparrow 

 has over its brother of the city is that, towards 

 the end of summer it can, and often does, remove 

 into the country with its family, there to live on 

 the fat of the land until, the harvest being 

 gathered and the nights becoming long and cold, 

 it, like the human Londoner, returns with its 

 beloDgiugs to town, invigorated no doubt by 

 change of air and scene. So far we have spoken 

 only of the sparrow's bad qualities. One good 

 quality, however, cannot be denied it that is, 

 love of its family. In this it is pre-eminent 

 among birds. Many species will, no doubt, by 



