HISTORY OF 



PART IV. 

 OF BIRDS OF THE SPARROW KIND. 



CHAPTER I. 



OF BIRDS OF THE SPARROW KIND IN GENERAL. 



STILL descending from the larger to the smaller, 

 we come to birds of the sparrow kind ; or that 

 class of beautiful little animals that, being less 

 than the pigeon, go on diminishing till we arrive 

 at the humming-bird, the smallest of the feather- 

 ed creation. 



The birds which compose this class chiefly live 

 in the neighbourhood of man, and are his great- 

 est favourites. The falcon may be more esteem- 

 ed, and the turkey more useful; but these he 

 considers as servants, not as friends ; as animals 

 reclaimed merely to supply him with some of the 

 conveniences of life: but these little painted 

 songsters have his affections, as well from their 

 beauty as their melody ; it is this delightful class 

 that fill his groves with harmony, and lift his heart 

 to sympathize with their raptures. All the other 

 classes are either mute or screaming ; it is this 

 diminutive tribe only that have voices equal to 

 the beauty of their figures ; equally adapted to 

 rejoice man, and delight each other. 



