224 
SPARROWS. 
towards them on his perch, and practising all his little coax- 
ing ways. An interesting story was once told by Sir William 
Parsons, who was himself a great musician, and who, when a 
young man, possessed a Piping Bullfinch, which he had taught 
to sing “ God save the King.” On his once going abroad, he 
gave his favourite in charge to a sister, with a strict injunc- 
tion to take the greatest care of it. On his return, one of 
his first visits was to her, when she told him that the poor 
little bird had been long in declining health, and was at that 
moment very ill. Sir William, full of sorrow, went into the 
room where the cage was, and, opening the door, put in his 
hand, and spoke to the bird. The bird remembered his voice, 
opened its eyes, shook its feathers, staggered on to his finger, 
piped “ God save the King,” and fell dead ! 
It is often remarked, what impudent birds are London 
Sparrows ! and not without reason. Born and bred in the 
hustle of the town, they must either live and jostle with the 
crowd, or look down from the house-tops and die of hunger. 
Naturally enough, they prefer the former ; and every one of 
our London readers will, we are sure, testify to the cool 
intrepidity with which this familiar bird will pounce upon a 
hit of bread or some other tempting morsel, which happens to 
catch its eye upon the pavement, and with what triumph and 
exultation it hears it off to its mate, seated on some window- 
sill or coping-stone above, or followed, perhaps, by three 
or four disappointed companions, who were a moment too late 
in seizing the spoil. Then for his nest : — while other birds 
must select their own accustomed spots, the similar tree or 
hush, the same materials, &c., the Sparrow, like a bird who 
knows the world, is everywhere at home, and ready to 
establish himself wherever chance may happen to place him. 
If he lives remote from towns and cities, and the habitations 
of men, a tree answers his purpose, and a comfortable nest he 
will there build, with the rare addition of an arched top into 
the bargain, which possibly he may have learned from that 
knowing bird, the Magpie. In default of a tree or a house, 
a chink in a rock or a hole in a wall suits him ; hut, after 
all, the nooks and eaves of buildings are his favourite re- 
