The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-18
The American Career of the
Sparrow

The first attempt, as far as known, to
introduce the common house sparrow of
Europe to our country was made by a
gentleman numed DesbloiS, in Portland,
Maine, during the Autumn of 1858 lie
brought over few birds from the con
tinent, and liberated them III a large
garden, which was situated within the
central part of the city. They remained
there sheltered and secure under the
caves of Il ncighboring church through
ont the Winter; and in the following
Spring settled down happily enough to
the labor of nest building and rearing
their young. Two years later the first
pair of finches were set at liberty near
Madison Square, New York City; the
importation was steadily repeated, the
birds being released in the Central Park
and at Jersey City. They were first in
troduced in Boston in 1868 by the city
government, and to Philadelphia by the
municipal authorities in 1869, and from
these small beginnings the house spar
row has spread all over this northern
COtsItfN HVlCNt1 W. liuN Z SltN 'dtSJ VI
the rocky mountains and the tuttering
flocks of the robust foreigners enliven
the streets thereof i'll every direction.
Their numbers are nearly countless.
The object at first for the introduction
of the house sparrow does not seem TO
have been one of prrctical suggestion,
but rather one in the nature of senti
ment Since, however, the attention of
the citizens was called to the GREAT nui-
sance Of the existence of canker and
measure worms in the shade trees of the
old cities of the Union, the fact that the
house sparrow would remain with us all
Winter, and feed rs theoretically upon
the worms as any of our own birds
which always, without exception, left for
warmer cimesevery season the thought
OF practical application took life in en-
couraging the introduction of the Eng
lish sparrow rs means of relief more
certain than that afforded by any or all
of our Indigenous finches. AS soon as
this became generally understood, the
little John Bull was distributed with
great industry all over the country for
this purpose; but AS sure us it became
numerous in any town Or city a spirited
opposition sprang up TO it, and exists to-
day with more or less vitality in every
section where the bird is fairly set
lied Whole books have been written
pro and con, and naturalists have wagcd
unrelentng war upon one another, as
they differed in estimating the value and
the services Of pyrgita domcstca but,
in the Judgment of the writer, the en-
/ tire practical bearing Of the controversy
has not been fully presented by either
! the friends or the foes OF the llttlt finch,
for it must seem clear enough to those
who will follow the line of argument in
! this article that while the house sparrow
is eminentlv tt and wonderfully well
constituted for life in Northern cities,
yet it is sad rowdy and nuisance in
the country while i'll the former case i
renders admirable service in DESTROYING
insect pest, that distigure the shady
avenues Of city forestry, yet in the latter
field it cannot compete with our native
birds in chronological service to man,
and having given good reason for dis
like on the part OF the growers of fruit,
they are doubly incensed because the
law will not allow them TO shoot. trap
or destroy the enemy Harper Maya
zine.