98 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



Look down on your streets and thoroughfares. On 

 every heap of refuse, every scrap of garbage, in every 

 dirty gutter or dropping in the roadway, about the sweep- 

 ings from yard or store, are groups of these despised 

 birds, busy, hard-working and unpaid scavengers. 



Who knows what evils they prevent, what they devour 

 that otherwise would become decayed vegetable matter, 

 decomposed and typhoid-breeding filth; the larvae of 

 beetles and other noxious insects, half -digested grain 

 that if left would shortly breed corruption and disease 

 hurtful alike to man and beast. 



True, the birds are bold. The sparrow takes posses- 

 sion of the eaves and cornices of your buildings, your 

 sign-boards and your window sills, Any projecting 

 beam or odd angle he makes his coigne of vantage 

 from whence to spy out what he wants. But in this he 

 really interferes with no one, and it is only the braggart 

 assurance of his manner that excites our aversion. His 

 ragged nests are usually hidden away in out of sight 

 corners or sheds, so we have not that to cite against him. 



Ah ! but someone comes down on me with the accu- 

 sation that the crueL wicked, malicious and altogether 

 disreputable sparrow kills and drives away all our dear 

 little song-birds. 



Wait a bit, my good friend. Did the other birds 

 never fight 01* attack strangers ? The bill and claws of 

 the sparrow are not those of the Raptores. He may 

 be pugnacious, but so is our dear pet the redbreast. 



