The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-06-27
Work Of English Sparrows in Boston.
BY THOMAS NJ. BREWER.

BY THOMAS NJ. BREWER.
In your recent issue, quoting from o
very hastily written letter you commit
me to future article in behalf of the
European sparrow. Although you take
the liberty, without the authority of
the General Court" to change the nom-
enclature assigned to me, | presume,
therefore, there is but one thing to be
done, and that is, at once and without
more talk about it, to tell the story of
what the sparrow has done for Boston
If you will turn to your Harris In
sects Injurious to Vegetation, edition
of 1862, page 1851, you will see
there given in full, the dangerous char
acter of the moth known as ORGYIA
LENCosTIGMA. 1t is in the Larvae form
pretty near omnivorous, devouring alike
the smaller shrub and the stately elm
The larvae are very voracious. In 1928
great injury was done by them to the
apple trees about Boston. In the sum-
mer of 1S48-49 and so, these insects
were very numerous in Boston, both in
private yards and on the Common
where the horse chestnuts and many
other trees which wholly escape the
ravages of insects, were entirely strip
ped of their leaves. Every possible
effort was made to destroy these in
sects that human ingenuity could de-
wise, and for while with partial sue.
cess But their peculiar habits make
them a very difficult foe to contend
against. They spin their cocoons on
the branches, trunks and larger limbs
of the trees on which they have been
feeding and often in inaccessible places.
There, if undisturbed, the insects come
forth in their adult state. The female
is wingless and lays her eggs on the
top of the cocoons, protecting them
with covering of frothy matter which
dries into white and brittle shield
successive broods of these devasting
insects are produced throughout the
Summer from May to September, and
.,
two seasons are enough to destroy for
ever the beauty, vigor and life even of
our largest trees. This insect cannot
be attacked, to advantage, on our large
elms, there are always so many that
cannot be reached.
This was our condition in Boston in
1861 and 1868. This insect was in
full possession of our shade trees every
where in the city and vicinity, and the
case seemed well nigh hopeless. In
1869 hundreds of dollars were expend-
ed by our city government in reducing
their numbers ON the Common and
Public Gardens. Our first importation
of sparrows nearly failed and there
were SO few surviving that we did not
put much faith in their ability to help
US, and all hope of saving our noble
elms was by many given up as impos-
sible
But we were better off than we sup
posed. The few sparrows that escaped
had thriven wonderfully and increased
by others privately imported, numbered
in 1869 and 10 about seventy-fve
pairs. These were attracted to our
deer park both for food and shelter, and
there they spent the Winter in the very
centre of the infected district. l soon
noticed that they were busy among the
trees, and was rejoiced to find that they
were searching out and devouring the
cocoons and the eggs of the lencostig-
ma, and it was curious sight to wit
ness how readily the sparrow could
adopt all the habits, pastures and per-
formanees of the creepers and wood
peckers. They climbed about the
trunks, hung themselves head and back
downward from the branches and once
having got good taste of cocoons and
eggs they did not desist from their de-
struction until they had made pretty
clean work of them. A few moths es-
capped so far as to be Matched out, but
it only postponed their fate In sin
gle season about one hundred and fifty
sparrows did work which all Boston
could not have done by any expendi-
ture of money. These pests were
about annihilated. l do not believe
you can find in Boston, except in CAB
met, with pin through it, single
specimen of this moth. Our gardens
are exempt from their ravages. Our
shade trees are green from May to Oc-
tober. And we owe all this to these
interesting little strangers. Well NAV
Boston make much " of the sparrow,
build them houses for shelter and for
nesting, and feed them through our
inclement Winters. They have richly
earned it all. And let US place fairly
on the record, while it is fresh on oar
memories, this great bene6cence they
have done our city, and let it aever be
forgotten. The time may come whe
their increasing numbers will swarm
into our rural places, where thew NAV
be tempted to partake of our oats and
other grain. and where, too, thew will
be very likely to extermip ate the can
ker-worms End the curculios as they
have already done the measure worms
of New York and Philadelphia, and
the caterpillers of Boston. Let us bear
with their trivial misdeeds and not for
get their great benefactions.
Already the carping penny-a-liners
of our newspapers, for want of better
occupation, are railing against our spar
rows with false charges "They
never" says one wiseacre, touch a
hairy caterpiller.' Suppose it be true
and l very much doubt it-what
does it prove? Does not this Solomon
know that hairy caterpillar has four
forms, and if the sparrow devours the
insect in three of these forms, ought
we not to be satisfied? The sparrow
eats the eggs, the cocoons and the
image, both of the measure-worm and
Of the orgyia l have seen them do it,
and very much doubt if very many
of the latter escaped in the larvae form