The Portland daily press., 1883-03-16
The English sparrows.
A Feathered Tribe introduced as a Bon
eft Becomes a Pest and a Nuisance.

The so-called English sparrows have long
since been voted nuisance, and that they are
such the lntels, cornices and door caps of
many houses attest Some,of the late STYLES
Of architecture have been so drawn as to
give no foothold to these feathered pests.
The annoying twitter of these birds can be
heard on all sides, and groups of three or
four fighting one another is a common sight.
They seem to depend on food from the table
rather than that which nature prepares for
other species of the feathered race. The
value of the birds for purposes for which
they were introduced into the country has
been fully and frequently discussed, and
notwithstanding they have been defended
by many botanists and the society for the
prevention of cruelty to animals, their ene-
mics have continued to multiply and are
now largely in the majority. 1t is conceded
on all sides that with the advent of the spar
row began the departure of nearly all the
other varieties of small birds. While the
sparrow is especially habitant of the city,
still of late years it has invaded the country
and proves of much annoyance to the far
mer. There is one good thing about the bird
and that is that it is edible at all times. One
of the city's dealers in game, ETC., has spar
rows for sale at 25 cents per dozen. He AYERS
that they are excellent when served on
toast, and are also good cooked in other
forms. Ordinances were passed in different
cities forbdding the killing of these birds
under heavy penalty. Some time since
New York city repented Of its action and
repealed its protective ordinance, and at
present there is bill before the Massachu-
sets Legislature to expel the feathered for
eigner. At a recent meeting the Concord
vile, Pennsylvania Taxpayers and Farmers
Club resolved shat we regard the English
sparrow recently introduced into the coun-
try as highly injurious to the interests of
agriculture, in consequence of its depreda-
tions upon our cereal crops Especially the
smaller grains) and lis tendency to drive off
various of the insectiyerous birds to which
class 1t is acknowledged in the land from
which it came, not to belong"
1t was the opinion of the gentlemen com
posing the club that the English sparrow is,
contrary to the common belief, not an in
sectiverous bird at all, but is solely grainiv-
erous. The Philadelphia Times saws that
Its raVages upon grain fields are declared
to have become so extensive as to be of Sc
rious moment to farmers everywhere. The
introduction of sparrows here was secured
through the efforts of some ladies for the
especial purpose of Kidding the trees of the
myriads of measuring worms that swung
down upon their web thread into the faces
OF pedestrians passing beneath the trees
The birds came; the worms disappeared
Immediately the people rose up and called
the sparrow blessed 1t was by common
consent installed as public benefactor and
scavenger. The members of the Concord
vile farmers Club claim that the appear
ance OF the sparrow and the disappearance
OF the worm was simply coincidental. The
worm disappeared at the same time from
Newark, Jersey City, New York and other
distant places when the sparrow had not
then been introduced. The English people,
who had long regarded the sparrow as a
common nuisance, began bagging the birds
and sending them to America, being only
too glad to get rid of them in that way, as
their stringent bird protecting laws prohibit
ed their slaughter"
1t would appear by the above that there is
something useful about these pests. That is
to cook them. 1t is ardently hoped that our
hotels and dining saloons will make them
a popular dish. Why can not our clubs who
delight in shooting birds, let the pigeons
alone and operate upon these sparrows. A
man who can hit one of them deserves
well of his fellows. If ran an eating house
would employ corps Of boys to supply
my table and test the digestive powers of my
guests. There never can be found anything
clad in feathers SO useless as these quarrel
ling little pests. The man who brought
them into this country ought to be hung in
efigy or else have a thousand of them roost
on his house constantly.
A SUBSCRIBER.