4 



FLOWER-GARDENS 



affords a shelter to the humble primrose ! The 

 lily of the valley, too, sweet, lovely, lowly 

 daughter of May, how I gaze in ecstasy on its 

 virgin whiteness, whilst the stranger cuckoo's 

 note sounds through the dell, and insures me 

 the return of warmer weather ! The chaffinch, 

 too, and the whitethroat, and the thrush, and 

 the blackbird, with pretty jenny-wren, and the 

 hedge-sparrow, all add charms inexpressible, 

 by their sweet voices, to the rising flowers of 

 the dale. And this brings me to another bird 

 not seen now in this country, but interesting 

 to us on account of the place which it occupies, 

 in Holy Writ. Its history is but little known 

 to the world at large, and its identity is exposed 

 to be called in question, on account of the 

 name which it erroneously bears. The bird to 

 which I allude is the Passer solitarius ; in En- 

 glish, the solitary sparrow ; and in Italian, pas- 

 sera solitaria. Would my readers lend a patient 

 ear for a short time, they shall have both the 

 history and the true name of this bird placed in 

 a proper light. 



The royal psalmist, whilst bending down in 

 penitential prayer before his offended Maker, 

 exclaims, " Vigilavi, et factus sum sicut passer 



