648 
BIKD-LIFE. 
when a certain class of agricultural and garden produce 
is ripening that the Sparrow is destructive; during the 
remainder of the year it merely gleans what would 
otherwise be lost. Now we will turn our attention to 
the utility of this bird. It must be well borne in mind 
that besides the useful grain which we have just men¬ 
tioned the Sparrow devours at least as great a quantity of 
seeds which are hurtful to our agriculture, as well as 
insects, as long as they are to be met with, especially the 
following:—cockchaffers, beetles and their larvae, butter¬ 
flies and their caterpillars, which are as we well know 
excessively destructive, grasshoppers, locusts, plant- 
lice, &c.; in short, a whole army of noxious pests. 
Thus, on the one hand, we find that the Sparrow does 
but little harm, and that occasionally; while on the 
other, it does an immense amount of good; and for this 
it is despised, abused, persecuted, and killed! 
I do not deny that the Sparrow is not to a certain 
extent a nuisance: its everlasting chirrup, chirrup, chirrup, 
cannot exactly be called charming; and when one hears 
a chorus of such music, there is no doubt it is utterly 
unbearable. Its warning cry of “terrr,” as well as its 
voluminous abuse—scurrilous in the extreme—when 
quarrelling, is not pleasant to the ear; neither is the 
bellowing of a bull, the grunting of a pig, the braying of 
a donkey, or howling of a dog, particularly agreeable; 
while the cackling of hens and screaming of geese are 
decidedly not to be admired; and yet we put up with 
these untoward sounds. Wherefore, then, need we abuse 
the Sparrow. 
To censure this bird for aught else would be unjust. 
More eager than all other birds, in matters appertaining 
to the tender passion, it exceeds the bounds of good 
