SOLITARY AND GREGAKIOUS. 37 



danger. We only offer this, however, as a plausible 

 conjecture, which appears more applicable to the case 

 of sparrows than to that of some other gregarious 

 birds. Were we disposed, indeed, to indulge in the 

 fancies sometimes found in books of natural history, 

 we might give the sparrows credit not only for ap- 

 pointing sentinels, but for trying them for neglect of 

 duty by a regular court-martial. 



Sparrow-courts, or assemblies of sparrows for 

 some common object regarding one of their com- 

 munity, are of frequent occurrence ; and in truth 

 they can scarcely escape the observation of any one 

 who attends to the habits of animals. The birds 

 usually select a spot somewhat remote from their 

 usual haunts, such as the centre of a copse or the 

 edge of a wood, where they may be seen crowding 

 closely around one of this number, and scolding him. 

 in all the terms of their vocabulary. Whether they 

 proceed from verbal reproof, however, to corporal 

 chastisement, we have never ascertained, for they are 

 so jealous, on such occasions, of intruders, that they 

 immediately stay process and break up their court, 

 should a prying naturalist venture within the pre- 

 cincts. Descriptions precisely analogous have been 

 given by different authors of assemblies of rooks, or 

 crow-courts, as they are called. In the latter, how- 

 ever, if we may believe what is reported, there is a 

 regular trial of a delinquent, who, upon being found 

 guilty, receives a severe drubbing from the whole 

 court, and is even sometimes killed outright*. 



Pliny reports something similar to this as occur- 

 ring among storks. " There is a place," he says, 

 " in the open plains and champaign country of Asia 

 Pithonas-Come, where (by report) they assemble 

 altogether, and, being met, keep up a jangling one 

 with another ; but, in the end, look which of them 

 # Landt, Description of the Feroe Isles. 



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