St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-03-02
English SparrOwS.

English SparrOws.
These birds were first brought to this
country by IA gentleman named Deblois
in 1858, and liberated in Portland,
Maine. Six birds constituted the i'm
portation. Two years later few pairs
were imported by Mr.. Schieffelin of
New York and liberated in Madison
square, and this he repeated for several
successive summers. In 1864 seven
pairs were imported by the Central
Park Commissioners. Others were
brought by different parties and re-
leased in Jersey City. They were in
trOduced into Boston by the city gov
eminent in 1868. OF the first importa-
ton nearly all died but the next year
more were brought, and for two or
three years there was great difficulty
in getting them established and arcli-
mated. In 1869 about one thousand
birds were imported by the city govern
ment of Philadelphia. These liberated
in May Immediately separated into
colonies, and prepared for themselves
new homes, taking possession of the
various parks and squares of the city,
some going to Germantown and re-
moter suburbs of Philadelphia. Here
they found the cherry -trees in full
bloom, and as a writer says, 'their ex-
ploits in stripping the blooms from the
trees gave not very favorable first
impression of these ew-comers."
In 1872 or 3 they were first imported
into st. JOhnsbury by Horace Paddock,
Esq. Currant worms had infested his
bushes and it was expected these birds
would annihilate them. A dozen or
less were liberated on his grounds one
bright summer morning. They were
carefully fed and petted by the family,
but it was not long before they took
their departure. They moved to Rail
road street, and took possession of the
cOrnice under the caves of the Avenue
house. Here they could find plenty of
street garbage, which was more to
their taste than the currant worms in
the garden. They and their children
have occupied these quarters ever
since, swarming to other streets and to
neighboring villages as families in
creased.
From these beginnings the "English
sparrows" have multiplied with great
rapidity, and have spread to all parts
of our land. There is not now city,
or village of any considerable size, east
of the Rocky Mountains where they
are not to be seen and heard. Their
name is legion" and to this fair land
of ours they are "an unclean spirit"
The first few were imported by those
who had seen them hopping round in
Europe and thought they were "pret-
ty." The city governments that i'm
ported them thought they were doing
their city and country great benefit. |
For long time the shade-trees in
the parks and squares of Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, etc,
were greatly infested with the Larvae of
the measuring-wO that destroyed |
their foliage. 1t was expected that
these birds would destroy the worms
and thus save the foliage of the trees. !
About this time, in some cities, a me-
tallic trough, filled with oil or tar,
was fitted tightly about the trunk of
the shade-trees little distance from |
the ground. When this was done the |
worms could not crawl up the trees
and the foliage was, in a large meas
ure, protected. For this decrease of
the ravages of the worms the English
sparrow has had largely the credit. In
nearly all the eastern cities, where the
has done the most
damage, the trees are thus protected
to-day. The question now is whether
these birds have done what was at first
of them. To be continued.
FRANKLIN FAIRBANKS.