National Republican., 1883-08-07

cannot suppose that such magnitude Of evil
as | indicate will ever he fully realized. |
think we shall come to our senses before that,
business interest being so strong safeguard
against extremes OF folly. | have sufficient
confidence in the intelligence of our country
mon to believe that they will grow restivo
before the infliction presses them much harder,
and take energetic measures to abato tho
nuisance. IL is fairly predcable that anti
sparrow enactments will become matter of
course result of tho deliberations of legisa-
tive bodies and that the obnoxious birds will
be prescribed, not protected, by law even to
the extent of offering bounties for their
heads or of fning landed prOprietors who do
not destroy their required quotas.
IL may DO asked in good faith by somo
What is tho special cause for anxiety about
tho multiplication of sparrows-arc these
birds 80 much moro prolific than othersp But
the question would be put by no one convers-
ant with the history of introduced plants and
animals. This brings up one of the most
vital points of tho controversy.
The sparrows arc certainly among the
most prolific of binds. These animated
generation boxes" abound in all coun-
tries where they oxist at all. Though tho
procreative powers Of the male arc stimu-
lated to intense and protracted activity by
his inexhaustiblo salacity, such energy is
nevertheless inadequate to satisfy tho full re-
quremonts of his mate, whose fecundity is
only exceeded by her lustfulness, and whose
libidnous actions excite his desires beyond
the physically possible. They raise two or
three, If not more broods, year and four to
six or moro young at once. One female has
been known TO lay thirty-five eggs in as
many successive days, Fifteen young an
nually to each pair would be an esti-
mate within bounds. But this is not the
whole secret of their rate of multiplication.
1t is well known fact in natural history
nf nj nd IL
mails once fairly naturali2ed and accli-
mated thrive out of all proportion to the
native species with which they come into
competition. Many of our commoncst and
most noXious weeds arc introduced, like the
white weed for instance, or the Canada"
thistle among plants, tho Norway rat and
the house mouse among animals Tho spar
row in America, a. in Australia and New
Zealand, and wherever else the bird has been
introduced, conforms strictly to the rule, and
the histories of these cases are precisely
parallel. One reason for this, among other
things, doubtless, is that the newly introduced
species is not confronted with natural checks
to its increase, while it finds the most favor
able conditions for its foothold, no counter
balancing force is encountered there can be
none indeed except such as grow out of tho
altered relations which the presence of the
newcomer is required to establish. In other
words, nature has no anticipatory safeguards
throws her into temporary confusion, which
lasts until she can gradually readjust her dis
turbed forces. During the inevitable dis
order which ensucs, the naturali2ed plant or
animal has all the chances in its favor-the
full benefit of the doubt as to what is best to
be done. But under no circumstances can
any one species predominant to such extent
without unfavorable action upon Others to n
precisely similar degree, the competition
among species is too keen for that. There is
only so much room and so much food for the
whole of them if one takes more the rest
get less. The history of the sparrow in all
countries to which the bird has been i'm
ported bears out the general proposition to
the fullest, and in fact af1o rds an illustration
of these principles no less striking than that
familiar to all in the case OF the Norway rat.
We only share now the experience of other
countries; the cases all tally precisely, con-
forming to the well nigh universal rule.
The excessive multiplication of the spar
row in this country and the injurious
reaction OF its presence upon the native spe-
ces might have been logicall reasoned up to
from strictly scientific premises before exper-
iment had demonstrated tho fact We see
now that the domineering aggressions of the
sparrow upon native birds with which it
comes i'll contact, its petulance, irascibility,
pugnacity, salacity, and fecundity are after
all but incidental factors in q problem of
much deeper roofing, and that actual hostli-
ties against native species are but ono of
various ways in which the sparrow
affects them injuriously. Therefore,
think it is small business, beneath
a scientists serious attention, to parade cases
in which some bluebirds whipped some spar
rows, or some sparrows mobbcd some robins,
as il thatwc apointlmade either way.-1ho
bad temper of the sparrows and their actual
breaches of the peace merely aggravated with
insult the real injury which their presence in
such numbers infallibly entails In n word,
they could not help being obnoxious were
they ever so well disposed.
have neither space nor inclination TO re-
hearse here the evidence we possess in sup
port of the foregoing statements The de-
crease of native Birds in number of species
or of individuals, in most places where
the sparrows have multiplied is perfectly
well attestcd and / have shown that tho
sparrow's actual attacks on native birds are
far from being at the root of the difficulty.
The connection between the increase of tho
one species and the decrease of various others
in numbers is established as one of cause
and effect.
Recurring to the matter of tho highly ex-
ceptional rate of multiplication of tho i'm
ported birds, we find a third obvious reason
in addition to their natural tocundity and to
the natural advantages which exotic have
over indigenous species. | refer of
course to tho exceptionally favorable
circumstances under which the SPAR
rows have been put by our own
agency. They are our distinguished guests
to be treated with every mark of that respect
which we fail to bestow upon rats mice and
whiteweed; by having imported them against
their will, we are bound to see them through
or deny our common humanity. They are
housed, fed, and petted in every possible way.
1t is against the law to destroy them. Fur
thermore and chiefly, the sparrows are domi-
ciled in cities, where they encounter none of
their natural enemies. So there is practically
no check whatever upon their excessive null
tlplication under present circumstances
While other naturalized exotics have
to take their chances of survival
of the fittest, this particular species secures
immunity from the common vicissitudes ,of
life, and it is actually assisted in the struggle
for existence by a virtual process of artificial
propagation. | shall Tecur to this matter
again in discussing the best means of abating
the nuisance. | leave it with tho remark
that we need not be surprised ut any rate of
increase that the sparrow may develop after
due consideration of the points which have
been presented to show what exceptional ad-
vantages the sparrow asby nature, and what
peculiar privileges have been given by man.
Among tn ose who may be inclined to look
with favor upon the naturalization of SPAR
rows in this country arc few persons Of
high scienti fic reputation, who, candidy and
with the evident sincerity of conviction,
frame an argument upon the admitted state
of the case in Europe. 1t is only with such
that real counter argument can have weight