ORDER PASSERES. 237 



birds, they evince no fear of man ; they surround him in 

 cities, in the country beset his path, and will scarcely turn 

 out of it to let him pass, either on the high-roads, or still 

 more especially in public walks, where they enjoy an almost 

 undisturbed security. They are not constrained by his pre- 

 sence, nor distracted from their search for food, from the 

 arrangement of their nests, from the cares which they 

 bestow upon their young, from their combats, or their plea- 

 sures. They are in no wise subjected, and their familiarity 

 partakes of the character of insolence. 



They are not less numerous in towns than in the country. 

 They lodge and nestle under the tiles of houses, and in 

 the holes of walls. Though many of them may be seen toge- 

 ther in one place, they form no society, among themselves, in 

 summer. They are often alone, or in couples. They are 

 a small community, always in motion, the individuals of which 

 cross each other's path incessantly, engaged in satisfying their 

 appetites, thinking only of themselves, and paying no atten- 

 tion to the common interest — too faithful an image of the 

 inhabitants of those same cities, whom they have chosen as 

 their hosts. 



In the evening, in summer, they generally assemble on 

 large trees, for the purpose of squalling in unison. When 

 this concert is more noisy and prolonged than usual, it 

 may generally be considered in the country as a sign of fine 

 weather on the following day. In summer, also, the sparrows 

 may be seen, in troops, on such hedges as border those tracts 

 of cultivated land, where the harvest is ripening ; but this is 

 a mere accidental assemblage, formed by the desire of booty, 

 and dissipated when there is no more to plunder. If a shot, 

 or any other noise, should suddenly arouse this band of rob- 

 bers, they do not fly to any great distance, but speedily 

 return to the post, from which they carry on their depre- 

 dations. 



