42 
NATURE NOTES. 
be cases where both the public and the private owner of land 
may gain by the diversion of a foot-path, or by the substitution 
of a new for an old right of way. But even in such cases the 
concession, if allowed, should not be lightly made, and in ver)'^ 
many cases it should not be made at all. 
THE SPARROW— FOR AND AGAINST. 
[In accordance with our note on p. 36 we now publish a 
selection from the communications we have received on this 
subject. Miss Isabel Fry could have little anticipated that her 
short note on the sparrow would have stirred up such violent 
feelings, expressed in some instances with equal — and, we think, 
regrettable — violence. 
We have no intention of expressing an editorial opinion one 
way or other, but we must be allowed to point out that the line 
taken by some is incapable of logical defence. Thus one lady 
writes : — ' 
“ My idea of the Selborne Society is that it especially ad- 
vocates respect and reverence for Nature ; but surel}' no true 
reverence is sho^\•n by picking and choosing as to what shall, or 
shall not, be deemed worthy of admiration — or of death ! All 
true lovers of Nature find something to admire in every one of 
her works ; it is only when their perfection is spoiled by art 
(so-called) and over-cultivation, that any of them cease to be 
pleasing.” 
Now it is obvious that if this line of argument were carried 
into practice, life would not only not be worth living, but even 
impossible. The domestic flea, for example, has his admirers. 
“ Don’t you like fleas ?” said an enthusiastic old lady, “ I do ; I 
think them such cheerful little creatures!” and the naturalist 
finds in their structure, as in that of all created objects, matter 
for study and admiration. Are we, then, not to kill fleas ? IMany 
other examples will occur to the reflective reader, of creatures 
Avhich it is impossible to encourage ; we should like to know, 
for example, what is to be done with “ rats and mice and such 
small deer ” ? Surely the use of mouse-traps is not incompatible 
with Selbornian views ? 
Speaking as Londoners, where birds are so few, we confess 
to a liking for sparrows as one of the few links which bind us .to 
the nature-world outside, and we venture to differ from Mr. 
Aubrey Edwards when he says they are not pretty. The 
sparrow and the street boy are two of the most familiar features 
of London life, having indeed many points in common ; and the 
absence of either of them would be felt. 
We will now let our correspondents speak for themselves. 
We have been compelled by the exigencies of space to ab- 
breviate some of the communications, but we have omitted no 
