The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-07-11

The English ISparrow.
DR. Thomas VI. Brewer, the skilltul zoolo
gist, tcstifcs rs follow, to the valuable work
of English sparrows in Boston;
"If YOU will turn to your liarris's insect
Injurious t. Vegetation ed. 1872, p 356-jD
you will see there given in full the dangcrou:
character of the moth known as OrgytG len
c0Stigmd. j. is in the larvG form pretty near
lily omnivorous, dcyouring alike the smaller
shrub and the stately elm. The ldrv;p are
very voracious In 1898 great injury was done
by them TO the apple trees about Boston. la
the summer of $3.50 and 80, these insects
were very numerous in Boston, both in private
wards and on the Common, where the horse
chestnutS, and many other trees which wholly
escape the ravagcs of insects, were entirely
stripped of their leaves Every possible Ell
fort was made to destroy these insects thal
human ingenuity could devise, aud for a
while with partial success. But their pecu-
liar habits make them very difficult foe to
contend against They spin their cocOons
on the branches, trunks and larger limbs OF
the trees on which obey have been feeding,
and often in inaccessible places. There, II
undisturbcl the insects come forth IN their
adult state. The female Is wingless and lays
her eggs on the top Of the cocoons, protect
ing them with a covering OF irothy matter
which aries into white and brittle shield {;
successive brOOds of these devastating insects
are produced throughout the summer from
Nav 10 September, and where they swarm
In great numbers two seasons are enough 10
destroy for ever the beauty, vlgor and life
even Of our largest trees This insect cannot
he attacked to advantage IN out large clms,
there are always so many mat cauhot NC
reached
This was our condition in Boston in 1867
and 1868. THIS insect was in full possession
of our shade-trecs everywhere III the city and
vicinity, and the case seemed well-nigh hope.
less. In 1859 hundreds of dollars were eX'
pended by our city government in reducing
their numbers on the Common and Public
Garden. Our first importation of sparrows
nearly failed and there were so few surviving
that we did not put much faith in their abili-
" to help us, and all hope OF saving our no
Die elms was by many given up as impossible.
But we were better OFF than we supposed.
The few sparrowS that escaped had thriven
and, increased by others private
" imported, numbered in 1869 and 1870 about
seventy pairs. These were attracted to our
dcer-park both for food and shelter, and there
they spend the winter in the very centre the
infected district | soon noticed that they
were busy among the trees, and was rejoiced
to find that they were searching out and de-
the cocOOns and the eggs of the (eic0S-
tignla, and it was curious sight TO witness
how readily the sparrOws could adopt all the
habit, postures and performances of the creep
rrs and woodpeckcrs. They climbed about
the trunks, hung themselves head and back
downward from the branches, and once hav-
ing got q good taste of COcoOnS and eggs they |
lid not desist from their destruction until
hey had made pretty clean work of them. a
lew moths escaped SO far as TO be Matched
)ut, but it only postponed their fate In n
single season about one hundred and fifty |
,parrows did a work which all Boston could
Tot have done by any expenditure of money.
These pests were about 2nnililated. do not
,elievc YOU can find in Boston, except in Il
,abinet, with pin through il, a single speci-
men Of this moth. Our gardens are exempt
rom their ravages. Our shade trees every
yherc ate green from May to October. And
We owe ali this to this interesting little Stran
yer. Well may Boston make much OF the
parrows, build them houses for shelter and
Tor nesting, ana feed them through the incle
ment winters. They have richly earned it
all. And let Us place fairly on record, while
t is fresh in our memories, this great benc
iccnce they have done our city, and let it
lever be forgotten. The time may come
When their increased numbers will swarm
nto our rural places where they may be
emptcd to partake Of our oats and other
rain and where, too, they will be very like
Y to eXtermnate the canker worms and the
urculos as they have already done the meas
re worms of New York and Philadelphia
nd the caterpillers of Boston. Let us bear
18th their trivial misdeedS and not forget ;
heir great bencfaction