I held up the nest, and made the young ones utter the cry which is expressive of the desire of food. I immediately put the nest and the young in the corner of a wire cage, and placed it on the outside of a window. I chose a situation in a room, where I could perceive all that should happen, without being myself seen. The young animals soon cried for food. In a short time both parents, having their bills filled with small caterpillars, came to the cage, and after chatting a little, as we should do with a friend, through the lattice of a prison, gave a small worm to each. This parental intercourse continued regularly for some time, till the young ones were completely fledged, and had acquired a considerable degree of strength. I then took one of the strongest of them and placed him on the outside of the cage, in order to observe the conduct of the parents, after one of their offspring was emancipated. In a few minutes both parents arrived as usual, loaded with food. They no sooner perceived that one of their children had escaped from prison, than they fluttered about, and made a thousand noisy demonstrations of joy, both with their wings and voices. These tumultuous expressions of unexpected happiness, at last gave place to a more calm and soothing conversation. By their voices and

their movements, it was evident that they earnestly entreated him to follow and to fly from his present dangerous state. He seemed to be impatient to obey their mandates; but by his gestures and feeble sounds, he plainly expressed that he was afraid to try an exertion he had never before attempted. They, however, incessantly repeated their solicitations: by flying, alternately, from the cage to a neighbouring chimney-top, they endeavoured to show how easily the journey was to be accomplished. He at last committed himself to the air, and alighted in safety. On his arrival, another scene of clamorous and active joy was exhibited. Next day, I repeated the experiment, by exposing another of the young ones on the top of the cage. I observed the same conduct with the remainder of the brood, which consisted of four. I need hardly add, that not one, either of the parents or children, ever again revisited the execrated cage."

Sparrows are found in almost every variety of climate, but only in cultivated countries. Deserts and wildernesses they ever avoid. They are found throughout Greece, and in Northern Africa, in China and the East Indies, and also as far north as Siberia. On the western coast of Africa they are never seen; not because of

the heat, since they can support that of Egypt, but because of the absence of that kind of food which they require. It is only where corn and other similar plants are cultivated that they are

seen.

It is a singular thing, that neither sparrows nor pies are seen further north than the banks of the Pelledoui, a river of Siberia, which is the most remote tract in that quarter, in which corn is cultivated. It is also asserted, that they were never seen on that spot, until a few years since, when the grain in question was first sown. there. How surprising is the instinct which leads these little wanderers to the precise place where their food is to be found, and to no other! It does indeed forcibly remind us of the providential care of the great Author of nature, of whom the psalmist says, "these all wait upon thee that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. That thou givest them they gather.' Nor less, of the beautiful and touching reference to the security of their daily provision, by which our blessed Saviour taught his followers to dismiss all useless and desponding anxiety for the future. "Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them." The sparrows in par

ticular, worthless as we esteem them, and of little value as they were then considered, are especially pointed out in another place as not beneath the protecting care of Him who hath formed them.

The sparrow has been, by some naturalists, supposed to be a short liver while others say his existence is prolonged to the period of eighteen or twenty years. This, however, is a point by no means clearly ascertained; but if they live thus long, as well as multiply with rapidity, it is no wonder we are surrounded by such countless multitudes.

TO THE SPARROW.

They say thou'rt a bold and a thievish bird,
And thy mischievous ways I have known full well;
But none are so wholly bad, I have heard,
But there's some good thing we may find to tell.
And so, saucy sparrow, I'll try and see,

If any good thing may be told of thee.

Yes, I see thee there, with thy short, thick beak,
And the saucy glance of thy roguish eye;
"Tis as tho' my favour thou wouldst bespeak,
Or ask, in thy pertness, the reason why
I never have search'd thy hist❜ry, to see
How many good things may be told of thee.

I will do thee justice, thou saucy one:

I have turn'd to my book-thy name is here;
I see there are some good things thou hast done ;
Thou hast held thy wife and thy children dear.
As the sire of thy feather'd family

There is some good thing to be told of thee.

With unwearied tenderness, day by day,

Thou hast nursed them well, and their wants supplied; And even when borne as captives away,

The prison-grate scared thee not from their side.

Thou fed'st them still as if they were free;

Sing bravo! that this can be told of thee.

Dost linger here still, with thy saucy face?
I've no more praise for thee, roguish elf;
For even thy tenderly cherished race,

I fear, will be train'd up thieves like thyself.
'Tis well, bold sparrow, there ever should be,
Even one good deed recorded of thee.

ORDER PASSERES.

The Java Sparrow.

THE habits of this bird seem little known, except as they are exhibited in a state of captivity. He is often brought to our coasts from the spicy islands of the east, and pent in a cage, passes his life as an exile and a prisoner. He is a tract