The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-11-27
The American Career Of the Sparrow.

Inc hrSt attempt, a5 1af as lS knOWn<
to introduce the common house-spar-
row of Europe to our country was
made by gentleman named Desblois.
in Portland, Me-, during the autumn Of
1858; he brought over few birds from
the continent, and liberated them in
large garden which was situated within
the central part of the city. They re-
manned there sheltered and secure un-
der the caves of neighboring church
throughout the winter, and ia the fol
lowing spring settled down happily
enough to the labor of nest-building
and rearing theiryoung. Two years later
the first pair of these fnches were set at
liberty near Madison square, New York
city; the importation was steadily re-
peated, the birds being released in the
Central Park and at Jersey City. They
were first introduced to Boston in 1858
by the city Government, and to Phila'
delphia by the municipal authorities in
1869, and from these small beginnings
the house-sparrow has been spread all
over this Northern country wherever
we have q city east of the Rocky mount.
aims, and the futtering focks of the
robust, noisy little foreigner enliven
the streets thereof in every direction
Their numbers are nearly countless.
The object at first for the introduce
ton of the house-sparrow does not
seem to have been one of a practical sug-
gestion, but rather one in the nature OF
sentiment. Since, however, the atten-
ton of the citizens was called to the
great nuisance of the existence of can
ker and measure worms in the shade
trees of the old cities of the Union, the
/ fact that the house-sparrow would re-
main with us all winter, and feed as en-
ergehcally upon the worms as any of
our own birds-which always, without
exception, left for warmer climes every
season the thought of practical appi-
cation took life in encouraging the in
PRODUCTION of the English sparrow as a
means of relief more certain than that
afforded by any or all our indigenous
finches. As soon as this became gen
orally understood, the little John Bull
was distributed with great industry all
over the country for this purpose; but
as sure as it became numerous in any
town or city, spirited opposition
sprung up to it, and exists to-day with
more or less vitality in every section
where the bird is fairly settled. Whole
books have been written pro and con,
and naturalists have waged unrelenting
war upon one another, as they differed
in estimating the value and the services
of Pyrqita domestica;; but, in the judg-
ment of the writer, the entire practical
bearing of the controversy has not been
fully presented by either the friends OF
the foes of the little 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
eminently Git and wonderfully well CON
stituted for life in Northern cities, yet
it is sad rowdy and nuisance in the
country; while in the former case i
renders admirable service in destroying
insect pests that dis6gure the shady
avenues of city forestry, yet in the lat
ter field it cannot compete with our ma
tive birds in chronological service tt
man, and, having given good reason icl
dislike on the part of the growers o
fruit, they are doubly incensed because
the law will not allow them to shoot
trap. or destroy the enemy.-Prof. Il
". Elliott. in Harper's Magazine