THE HOUSE SPARROW. 251 



the end of that winter, when he sometimes saw them picking 

 about the roads. Two were killed near Blennerville, county of Kerry, 

 the same season by Mr. R. Chute, who had known but a single 

 specimen to be previously obtained in that quarter. In England, 

 we learn as a matter of course, that they were particularly nume- 

 rous during the same time : — Mr. J. Lewcock writing from 

 Parnham on the 21st of April, 1843, stated that "this bird 

 appeared in immense numbers in the neighbourhood of Farn- 

 ham (Surrey), during the last winter, while for many years pre- 

 viously single specimens had only occasionally been met with."* 

 The Rev. George Robinson of Tandragee, informs me, that on 

 the 25th of March, 1 844, he saw a flock of some thousands, un- 

 mixed, so far as he observed, with any other species, in a beech 

 wood at Elm Park, county of Armagh. They remained about a 

 week there. Early in January, 1847, they were met with in the 

 county of Longford. 



A pair of mountain finches, kept in a very large cage with other 

 species, in a green-house attached to the dwelling of a relative, 

 near Belfast, screamed so constantly throughout moonlight nights 

 as to disturb the family, and consequently had to be expelled from 

 the place. 



THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



Passer domesticus, Ray. 

 Fringitta domestica, Linn. 



Is common in Ireland. 



This bird is in some places much persecuted by individuals, who, 

 knowing the injury committed by it on the grain-crops and in the 

 garden, are yet ignorant of the great benefit conferred by its destruc- 

 tion of caterpillars, &c. A sparrow-destroying order given forth 

 in our juvenile days may here be mentioned. An old soldier, 

 who had been in the Peninsular War, was, on that account, selected 

 from the farm-labourers as being of course the best shot, and with 

 plenary instructions to destroy all sparrows, he spent day after 



* Zoologist, p. 188. 



