National Republican., 1883-07-19
THE PESKY SPARROW.
With All His Faults We Have Reason to
Love Him Still,
A. He Has Saved Many n Tree from Slow
but Sure Destruction.

"Tell me what you know of the English
sparrow, Mr.. Smith, /" said REPUBLICAN, rep
resentative to tho president of the parking
commission.
"He is valuable and useful bird, to whom
Washington owes much of the now famous
beauty of her leafy Streets" was the reply.
"He is worth something then, after all ?"
interrogated the reporter.
"a great DEAL" was answered 1--WE could
not raise tho English elm in this city with
out the English sparrow. These elms-aDd
YOU can see for yourself from the specimens
around you what splendid trees they are
are infested by a worm that no other bird
eats but the sparrow. These worms would
kill the elm but for the sparrow's killing
them. In the row Of trees in the Botanic
grounds is an elm, the fifth on the north side
from the east gate, which was in dying con-
dition when the sparrows were imported. 1t
is now a very handsome tree; thanks to
the sparrow. The sparrow has rendered
invaluable aid to the men engaged in
Identifying Washington. Our superb system
of trees would not be as splendid as it is If we
did not have the sparrow to help us. Inc
great English elm planted by Gen. Washington
in the grounds east of the capitol, the tree
which was the pride of the city, was killed
by the worms peculiar to its variety. There
were no sparrows here then, and the home
birds would not touch these worms. You
remember the tree / speak of? 1t stood to
the northeast of the old fish pond that was
constructed between the rotunda door Of the
capitol and the Washington statue"
The reporter remembered the tree we'll,
perhaps the finest arboral specimen ever seen
in Washington.
"The truth is the sparrow is unjustly and
falsely illuminated. He has his faults-so
have other birds. His virtues however, far
tholo u lie vi Ia w
it is true. So will the robin and the black
bird. He will fight. So will every other
bird and every beast. He chatters good
DEAL and unfortunately has no voice for
singing. That l think is one of the main
causes against him. He multiplies very
rapidly, but can hardly conceive that to be
so grievous fault that he should be killed
for it. He will eat grain and seed, SC
will every other bird. He will and does
eat worms and insects. Anybody can see
that who chooses to look. The fact of the case
is he feeds his young on worms and insects. He
has kept our trees from being eaten up by
worms. 1t is true that he will not eat al
kinds of worms, and neither will any Other
bird"
" How about the charge that he drives away
other birds 2"
Totally untrue. He couldn't drive away
the robin if he wanted to- The robin is very
much stronger and larger and outfghts the
But the sparrow is not such terrible fighter
as he is represented to be. His quarrels are
chiefly domestic. The males of the sparrow
fight very desperately for the females; sc
will the males of any other bird. You can
see every day in the Botanic gardens the
sparrow, the blue bird and the yellow bird
all bathing amcably in the same fountain
There used to be lots of hooking birds
and humming birds around Washington
There have been few noticed since the spar
row came"
There were few of them noticed for years
before the sparrow came. Washington, fol
nearly twenty years, has been large city
Prior to that it was u collection of villages
Well, mocking birds and humming bird:
don't, of their own free will, resort to cities
They are rural denizens, not citizens Blu
the naturalists, the very men who complain s.
much about the sparrow driving of other birds
is chiefly responsible for the scarcity of hum
ming birds They pursued these little bird
with never ceasing ardor. If driving oil tn
humming bird is crime worthy of death, thel
not the sparrow, but the naturalistS shoult
receive sentence. Then those who maxi
fashion for women are responsible to certain
extent 1t was the fashion some time ago fol
ladies to wear humming birds on their hats
DO you suppose the purveyors for these taste
would spare the humming bird at their doors
while sending across seas for tn
South American species? The mockini
bird don't come to cities, except as captives
The robin and the blue bird are here and hav
been for years Idon't suppose they are a
plentiful as they were years ago. Neither is
any bird, except those sparrows. You know
the time in this city when everybody VIII
could get gun went out to shoot birds.
doesn't take a long time to kill or drive ava.
birds when everybodyis is bent on their de
struction."
"You think the sparrow beneficial, then
LII inly htttl
it. Everybody who will unprejudicedly us
his eyes will think and know the same. Th
sparrow has faults, and so has every othe
bird. He cannot sing; he is a little too sci
assertive he is not u gentleman, in short
he is as God made him; but he does his dut
nobly. He has work to do no other bir
can, and he does it we'll. l repeat Washing
ton owes much of the beauty of her streets
the unjustly illuminated sparrow"
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