THE SPAKROW. 113 



noxious by their depredations, they have no 

 sweet voice of song to plead in their behalf, as 

 many of the fringilla tribe have, especially the 

 goldfinch. The sparrow has only a short chirping 

 note, which is not sufficiently musical to recom- 

 mend him to our notice. Yet he is not without 

 some beauty of plumage, when his colours are 

 not dimmed by the smoke and dirt of the city, 

 where he seems as happily and as easily to make 

 his home, as in the country ; he has, too, some- 

 thing better than mere appearance to claim our 

 attention. Notwithstanding all the evil we 

 have said of him, he is quite a model of parental 

 tenderness, as the following interesting anecdote 

 will prove. We shall relate the story in the 

 words of Mr. Smellic, under whose observation 

 the circumstances it details occurred. 



" When I was a boy," says that gentleman, 

 " I carried off a nest of young sparrows, about a 

 mile from my place of residence. After the 

 nest was completely moved, and while I was 

 marching home with them in triumph, I per- 

 ceived, with some degree of astonishment, both 

 the parents following me at some distance, and 

 observing all my motions in perfect silence. A 

 thought then struck me that they might follow 

 me home, and feed the young according to their 

 usual manner. When just entering the door 



