The English Sparrow

Many years ago we mide the acquaintnnce of tlie sparrow, imd we were facinated wilh bis saucy, coDtenled drollery. It was in Lnndon, and just outside tlie window witliiu wliich our studies were supposed to bc cirried on was a leailen roof whereon could be observed at any hour tlie doniestic marmers and social cnstoms of tliese restless little rascáis. We were never tired of theirantics- their tompeetous love muking, their Indefati güble house-keeping, tlieir petulant tjiiarrel", sharp tongued and sharpbeaked too; and they cast shrewd littie glances froni time to linie at us with inuch the expression of a party of savages niakfng merry near tlie great Wol of some Since those days, like most other Americans we have become rttthéf blasé on the subject, less responsive to the sparrow'sadvances, and have finally come to consider liim no butterthan a winged rat. In fact he is in one respect a good deal worse, for he ia doing wliat the rats cannot do: driving our gong birds f rom their former hauuts iihciut our homes to dislant and unknown retort, wliere tbey can be free fioni liis (¦limitering persecutions. About our liome tbéra an; fewer song birds tbao ever witliiu our recollection. Nut 1 singlt ( il blrd canic lust suminer, nor could we litar of oue about the neichborlioid ; not a wren; not even the valorous little blueblrd ; not n tuiutger; not a martin; not an oiiole. Formerly theie were many,and tlie groves niorning and evening resounded with thi'ir ïningk'd notes; last year they were fewcr; this year tliere were none. A ir of fcarlet tanagers and a pair of un luird orioles were indeed 8een for a weck or so, but were soon killed or driven off. Only the roblnsand Hieipot tlirushe8 holu their ground, and who can teil how long they will do so? These three pests, sparrows, red-8quiriel. aml strolling cats, have among them done the miscliief and every lover of birds sliould give orders to have all such vcrinin shot