224 SPARROWS. 



towards them on his perch, and practising all his little coax- 

 ing ways. An interesting story was once told by Sir William 

 Parsons, who was himself a great musician, and who, when a 

 young man, possessed a Piping Bullfinch, which he had taught 

 to sing " God save the King." On his once going abroad, he 

 gave his favourite in charge to a sister, with a strict injunc- 

 tion to take the greatest care of it. On his return, one of 

 his first visits was to her, when she told him that the poor 

 little bird had been long in declining health, and was at that 

 moment very ill. Sir William, full of sorrow, went into the 

 room where the cage was, and, opening the door, put in his 

 hand, and spoke to the bird. The bird remembered his voice, 

 opened its eyes, shook its feathers, staggered on to his finger, 

 piped " God save the King," and fell dead ! 



It is often remarked, what impudent birds are London 

 Sparrows ! and not without reason. Born and bred in the 

 bustle of the town, they must either live and jostle with the 

 crowd, or look down from the house-tops and die of hunger. 

 Naturally enough, they prefer the former ; and every one of 

 our London readers will, we are sure, testify to the cool 

 intrepidity with which this familiar bird will pounce upon a 

 bit of bread or some other tempting morsel, which happens to 

 catch its eye upon the pavement, and with what triumph and 

 exultation it bears it off to its mate, seated on some window- 

 sill or coping-stone above, or followed, perhaps, by three 

 or four disappointed companions, who were a moment too late 

 in seizing the spoil. Then for his nest : while other birds 

 must select their own accustomed spots, the similar tree or 

 bush, the same materials, &c., the Sparrow, like a bird who 

 knows the world, is everywhere at home, and ready to 

 establish himself wherever chance may happen to place him. 

 If he lives remote from towns and cities, and the habitations 

 of men, a tree answers his purpose, and a comfortable nest he 

 will there build, with the rare addition of an arched top into 

 the bargain, which possibly he may have learned from that 

 knowing bird, the Magpie. In default of a tree or a house, 

 a chink in a rock or a hole in a wall suits him ; but, after 

 all, the nooks and eaves of buildings are his favourite re- 



