60 WITHIN AN HOUR OF LONDON TOWN. 



with its light golden crust well bulged up with 

 sparrows, tender and juicy, is placed on the table, 

 eyes are wont to glisten and mouths to water and 

 twitch in a state of delightful expectancy. 



The town and country sparrow are the same 

 species, but there is as much difference between 

 the plumage of the two as there is in the outward 

 appearance of the chimney - sweep and the well- 

 to-do mechanic. Philip Sparrow's surroundings in 

 town smirch and blacken his plumage. As to his 

 habits, to begin with, he picks up almost any small 

 trifle he comes across nothing seems to come 

 amiss with him. The hardy little fellow knows 

 well how to take care of himself and to make him- 

 self comfortable. During severe winters in past 

 years I have seen many birds that have been 

 starved to death or perished with cold, but never 

 a single house-sparrow. He attaches himself most 

 pertinaciously to man, and, badly though he is 

 treated, he will not leave him and his surround- 

 ings. "Them there sparrers rewins things; them 

 guseberries wun't hev' a pint o' fruit on 'em the 

 cussed things hev' pulled off every fruit -bud as 

 showed : mother wun't hev' no jam this year, cuss 



