THE COCK-SPARROW. 



have never noticed that the possessors of 

 well-grown black moustaches under-rated 

 their importance. 



"You have a large family, I believe," 

 I remarked, as he chirped to his mate 

 cheerily. 



" Oh, several of them," he answered with 

 a nonchalant air; "sometimes as many as 

 three yearly. We are a dominant race, you 

 know, and we don't always trouble to build 

 our own nests ; we just drive out a house- 

 martin, or take possession of a sand-martin's 

 burrow in a cutting. Arbitrary, did you 

 say ? Oh, well, you see, we are sparrows ; 

 and, of course, we can make a much better 

 use of them. Poor devils of martins, they 

 have to go elsewhere, and house themselves 

 as best they may the survivors, that is to 

 say, for a good many of them get killed and 

 torn to pieces in the process of readjustment. 

 They're such savages, you see ; we're obliged 

 to be sharp with them. Why, I've known 

 a horde of house-martins fight in defence of 

 235 



