, 1876-02-02
MEN AND BTRDS-AN AUTHENTIC
TALE.
(Co1resPondencs @As Spectator.

(C0fFeSPoR4cllce q ne Spectator.1
-si1-S5me little time ago | read with pleasure
in the columns of the Zines a letter from the
pen Of Mr.. Morris, a~fording interesting infor-
nation on The affection and social habits of
birjs,-suoh as the kingfsher, the golden
crested wren, and the ~Wood-pigeon. I, too,
have a tale to tell of the sparrow. which.
perhaps Xnu will favour me by inserting in
your valuable paper, as an additional evidence
Of the instinct and attachment of birds. NV
sparrow's love continued unbroken for years.
and this is the unyarnished history of the little
off4ctionate creature.
The rectory of Christ Church, in the island
Of Barbados, West Indies, where l resided, Is
prettily situated amidst trees. on a hill over
looking a fishing village, where the waters of
the sea, on a clear summer day, are of all
colours Of green, and where the tropical heat
is sofened down by a constant land breeze.
This is Just the abode suited to birds, and
consequently the neighbourhood abounds in
sparroWs. Being alone at the time, many of
the sparrows soon struck up an acquaintance
with me, and WerN among the first to make
their appearance in the most unceremoniOus
manner Mt the breakfast-table One of them,
however, more familiar than the rest, seemed
determined that | should adopt it as a pet.
BY degrees | induced it to pick .bread-crumbs
out of my hand. Our acquaintance gradually
maturod into ansuspeoting friendship, and ended
at last in positive love, as the sequel will show.
Heightened time rolled on, and every dav
the sparrow was my constant companion. If J.
was in my study, it was there. If | was
reading in the d~raWing-ro0m, it was perched
on the tip of my boot. If | did not rise by
daylight, it would come in at the window, left
open purposely for its convenience, and futter
upon my body, begging, as it we're, that I
would attend to its early wants. And more
than this. | missed the bird for a while, and
grjeved, thinking that it had fallen a prey to
some voracious cat or to the gunShot of some
wayfaring traveller. Every day I went to
the accustomed window and called it by name
(for | had given it the name of Dick y,
but no Dick appeared. | persevered, however,
in loudly calling for it, as it knew my voice
well; and after an absence of some weeks,
one morning observed three sparrows flying
directly towards me. | held out my hand as
usual, and they aIighted on the palm of it.
10 my agreeable surprise, there was Mr.. or
Mrs. Dick Il know not which,, with two we'll
G5lged olive-branches, which we're handed
over to me for adoption. This is not all.
Mrs. Dick-for from her affection l shall
assume it was the mother bird-resolved to
build her nest another time nearer home, and
repeatedly came to me with q straw in her
beak, evidently hoping that l would be her
assistant architect Finding that I declined
the task, she selected a rose-tree, which I
could easily touch from my bedroom window,
and there entwining three Of the tallest
branches. she built (as birds only can build) a
beautiful nest. From this time she continued
to commit her dedglings, as a matter of course,
to my care.
But here comes the climax. The time drew
near for me to leave the West and to join my
family in England, where l am now. 1t SEEM
ed as if my sparrow, by instinct, amounting
almost to reason, suspected my movements.
Perhaps there was something lonely and
strange in the appearance of the reotory, the
greater portion of the furniture having been
removed but be it what it may, Mrs. Dick,
although she lived unfettered in the trees, and
had the range of the atmosphere, would scarce
quit my presence, and mirabile dictu, on return.
ing home one moonlight night, l found the
loving bird sleeping like a peaceful infant on