THE SPARROW IN EUROPE. 27 



children in all the public schools of France, by order of 

 the Department of Public Instruction, are taught the 

 value of all birds, the sparrow not excepted." The 

 doctor's authority for the above statement is the Hon. 

 M. Servaux, who is head director of that department. 



Other authorities could be quoted to show the good 

 and evil results which are produced by the sparrow in 

 its native country, but the writer is obliged to- refer his 

 readers to the bibliography of the subject which will be 

 appended to this monograph. That immense good is 

 accomplished in Europe by the services of these birds, 

 must be admitted, if the testimonies adduced are worth 

 anything. But it is greatly to be desired that a more 

 complete inventory of the insects destroyed, than any 

 hitherto published, should be given to the world. The 

 mere assertion of the fact, which is all that we have to 

 rely upon, in many instances, amounts to little in the 

 writer's estimation. Xo work, with a single exception, 

 has treated this subject as it deserves. 



The sparrow is not one of the earliest risers among 

 birds, but is certainly as wakeful as any of them. It 

 begins to chatter with the dawn, and keeps up an ani- 

 mated conversation for an hour before forsaking; its 



O 



roost. Even before retiring for the night, its disagree- 

 able chatter is heard to the annoyance of its human 

 neighbors, for a similar period of time. As early as ten 

 minutes before three o'clock in the morning this noise 

 has been heard. 



The nest of the sparrow is a very inartificial structure. 

 It is composed of straw, hay, leaves, and other similar 

 materials, externally ; and is lined with a profusion of 

 feathers. Although an exceedingly hardy bird, caring 

 little for snow or frost, yet, nevertheless, it likes a warm 



