ORDER I'ASSERES. 285 



Sparrow — a bird which the citizen lodges within his walls, 

 under the roofs of his houses, which he meets at every step 

 in his daily walks, which abounds equally throughout the 

 country, which partakes freely of the grain distributed to the 

 domestic fowls, and, in fine, a bird which the agriculturist 

 has marked as one of his most active and persevering enemies. 

 At the same time it may be noticed, that naturalists are 

 often too careless, and even utterly negligent, in describing 

 those objects which are familiar to themselves, and to their 

 countrymen, without remembering that the objects most 

 common among ourselves, are frequently strangers to another 

 climate. The natural historian should generalize his views 

 in proportion as he hopes that his writings shall be extended, 

 and render the latter suitable to every age and every country. 

 But as our pretensions are of a far humbler kind, and as the 

 text itself generally furnishes sufficient indications of external 

 description for all useful ends, we shall hold ourselves dis- 

 pensed from all such minute details— details that, after all, 

 are rarely consulted, and still more rarely supportable. 



The large head, thick and short bill, and animated eyes of 

 the sparrow, give to its physiognomy a characteristic of 

 something like impudence, if we may with propriety apply 

 to any lower animal those moral peculiarities which are 

 the result of spontaneous volition in free and responsible 

 agents. From the shortness of the neck, the bulk of the body 

 in proportion to its length, and which bulk is apparently in- 

 creased by the moderate breadth of the tail, there is nothing 

 of lightness or elegance in the form of this bird. Its mo- 

 tions, too, although precipitate, are quite destitute of grace. 

 Its monotonous and incessantly-repeated cry, is fatiguing 

 to the ear, and pursues us perpetually around our houses, 

 and in our gardens. 



This species would seem, in a very extraordinary manner, 

 to have changed its character, and lost its originally wild 



