58 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



would have a word to say against Mm, for in many respects 

 he is deserving of the greatest admiration. Seen, as we 

 see him in India, unsoiled by English town smoke, he is 

 really a pretty bird in his way a fact of which one might 

 think him to be fully conscious, judging from the persis- 

 tency with which he displays his charms before his 

 plainly -at tired spouse, who is just as likely as not to peck 

 him for his pains. No doubt he deserves it, for he does not 

 seem to be addicted to those gentlemanly attentions of 

 combing his wife's hair and offering her titbks which are 

 favoured by better-bred birds, although an ardent admirer 

 of the sex, which generally seems to be tcterrima causa 

 belli with his race. And courage is certainly another good 

 quality to be put down to Philip's credit. Alike in a 

 single- hand fight, and in backing up a friend, he will give 

 a good account of himself, while the same dogged tenacity 

 has won the reluctant admiration of his unwilling American 

 hosts when displayed in his unremitting care of hi? young, 

 which he will do his best to start in the world at all costs 

 even when handicapped by the loss of a partner, or b} r the 

 unseasonable accident of a young hopeful having fallen 

 out of the nest when too unfledged to be gob back to it ; 

 other birds in such a case would often give up such a child 

 as deserving its fate, but the despised Sparrow will stick to 

 him and pull him through. Then again, Philip is a prac. 

 tical philosopher ; although, unlike most finches, he has 

 no song, he is always cheerful ; one of the most versatile 

 of birds, he will eat anything, wallow in sand or wash 

 in water, nest anywhere, and stand any climate ; for, as 

 anyone can see, he bears the Indian heat as well as most 



