104 
BIRDS IN A VILLAGE. 
music; whereupon the birds promptly took their 
departure, and returned no more to that forest 
until after the king's death. The sparrow is not 
so sensitive as the legendary nightingales, and is 
not to be got rid of in this easy manner. He is 
amenable only to a rougher kind of persuasion ; 
and it would be impossible to devise a more 
effectual method of lessening his predominance than 
that which Nature teaches — namely, to subject 
him to the competition of other and better species. 
He is well equipped for the struggle — hardy, pug- 
nacious, numerous, and in possession. He would 
not be in possession and so predominant if he had 
not these qualities, and great pliability of instinct 
and readiness to seize on vacant places. Never- 
theless, even with the sturdy sparrow a very small 
thing might turn the scale, particularly if we were 
standing by and putting a little artificial pressure 
on one side of the balance ; for it must be borne in 
mind that the very extent and diversity of the 
ground he occupies is a proof that he does not 
occupy it effectually, and that his position is not 
too strong to be shaken. It is not probable that 
our action in assisting one side against the other 
would go far in its results ; still, a little might be 
done. There are gardens and grounds in the 
suburbs of London where sparrows are not abundant, 
and are shyer than the birds of other species, and 
