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FRINGILLlDiE. 
day in going about the corn-fields for the purpose of shooting 
them. The report of his gun was frequently heard, but no testi- 
mony in the shape of sparrows was ever produced, by which he 
could be convicted of the shedding of blood. We spent one day 
with him. Whenever he saw that two or three sparrows had 
alighted together on the standing corn- sufficiently near, which was 
by no means seldom, he fired at them. Often as he did so, not 
a bird fell, though how much of the grain was thereby sacrificed, 
we cannot take upon ourselves to say, for it could not be missed. 
The shooter would not believe that this result was owing -to his 
want of skill, and more than once trampled down the grain to 
look after the imaginary fallen birds, which were in reality afar 
off rejoicing at their escape. When the wages of this sportsman, 
and the value of the ammunition he expended, together with the 
grain destroyed by him, are considered, there can be little doubt 
that the amount of damage, which the sparrows could have done 
(and nevertheless did do), must be trivial in comparison. Many 
well-attested accounts have been published of the destruction of 
crops by insects, in consequence of small birds, (sparrows in 
particular,) being destroyed for their pilfering propensities. When 
in France in 1841, I was made acquainted with a recent in- 
stance of this kind. In the fine rich district of Burgundy, lying 
to the south of Auxerre, and chiefly covered with vineyards, small 
birds had been some time before destroyed in great numbers. An 
extraordinary increase of caterpillars, &c., soon became apparent, 
and occasioned such immense damage to the crops, that a law was 
passed, prohibitory of the future destruction of the birds. 
The boldness and impudence of sparrows in obtruding them- 
selves everywhere, are somewhat redeemed by the comicality of 
their manners. I was once much amused by observing one 
literally “ dancing attendance ” on a pet squirrel, as it breakfasted 
on bread in the wheel of the cage : the bird hopped about all the 
while, eagerly eyeing the squirrel, and picking up every crumb 
that fell. 
The freedom from all fear on the part of sparrows, is particu- 
larly manifest by their feeding close to ferocious animals in zoo- 
