Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-06-15
THE ENGLISH SPARROW.

AAe01ASAA - n A~AhON
The whole country is uniting in the opin-
ion that the English sparrow is an unmiti
gated nuisance, and is rising up to sIsy him.
The Legislature Of Pennsylvania has passed
law authorizing every body to kill the En-
glish sparrow, and everybody seems disposed
to commence the slaughter. The Philadel-
phia Times, in approving the law and urging
the determination of the inhospitable in
truder, Gays:
The sparrow is everybody's foe; the foe of the
garden of the field and of the songsers of the air,
and all should join in destroying il, 1t is plucky,
reckless raider and is tenacious of life as eat
1t claims all seasons for its own and funerals seem
TO be few and far between in the family. They
won't die in genial spring-time; they won't die in
autumn, and they won't die even in bleak winter.
They seem to be able to live anywhere in all
seasons, and to multiply with fearful rapidity.
The time has come when the systematic exter-
mination of the destructive English sparrow
must begin. They have spread over the whole
OF Eastern Pennsylvania, in town and country
and in a very few years there will not be field
that can escape devastation unless the work OF ex
termination Is commenced and vigorously prose-
cuted- 1t would be vain for a few IN every neigh
borhood 70 begin the war. 1t must be a general
uprising of the people against this thieving little
fraud But bow is the work OF determination to
be prosecuted? There is only one way, and that
is fo- every family to declare against the
work around the farms where its deadly mission
can be fulfilled without driving the domestic
lawns and shades are the abodes of our own wei.
come domestic birds, the percussion shotgun and
the airgun may be used with effect The airgun is
OF little practical use in making sparrow funerals,
but is just the thing to destroy their nests and
the destruction of the sparrow nests is the most
important part of the work of determination. See
that no sparrow nest lasts long enough TO send the
brood out upon the world, and that most effective
assault upon the sparrow can thus be well
md 10
evening and morning watchfulness. Philadelphia
has imported and spread the sparrow curse upon
ourselves and the country, aud here the work
OF destruction should be systematic and tireless.
Besides destroying buds and driving the birds OF
song from our squares, the sparrow has defled and
deformed our houses and shrubbery, and the war
should be relentless against 1t in our city. The
sparrow can't be shot IN the city with safety, but
Ii care was taken ali over Philadelphia 70 destroy
the sparrow nests, the work of exterminGtion
would be speedily accom- plished. Let the people
IN city and country begin at once, and few years
OF effort will reward them with the practical blot
ting out OF the most pestferous visitor OF all the
feathered tribe.
A few years since in every community in
which the sparrow had been introduced there
were as many claimants for the honor and
enterprise OF importing the first sparrows as
there we're claimants for the birthplace oil
Homer. But no one cove,s the honor now,
for the public has decided that the honor ia
on par with that which is derived by the
introduction OF a plague or the devourIng
locusts The life of the English sparrow is
as tenacious as that of the oficeholder or
the mether-in-lsw. Their provocative Ca
pacity is marvellous. They seem to props-
gate themselves in swarms. Ii has not been
more than fourteen years since half a dozen
English sparrows were turned loose here in
Memphis. Now the city is literally swarm
ing with them. If they continue to multi
ply at the same rate, other birds more beau
tiful, useful and desirable will recede from
all contact with them Just as the Indians
recede from the march of civilization. Here
10 Memphis they have taken possession of
every grove, shrub, bush and bower. Their
disbolicsl iwitter is the first thing heard in
the morning, and they engage in nothing but
dsviltry all day. The festhered tribe shun
them with as much loathing SIS decent peo-
pie shun the filthy Chinese. The mockiug.
bird has that kind OF aversion for them
which a member Of the Young Mems Chris
tian Association feels for the pugilist aud
the burglar. They are as pugnscious as
bulldogs, and having no enemy to fight they
fight each other, and all meanly combine
against the unfortunate victim, which is
the weakest and fesblest of the flock. A few
years since, here in Memphis, there was
in every garden and the shrubbery
around the yard a variety of beauti-
full birds, and the most prominent
wac the favorite mocking- bird, but all
these have been driven away by the noisy,
pugnacious little Euglish sparrow, which
has neither beauty, melody, nor decency to
recommend it. These impudent scourges
care nothing for the rights or even the lives
of other birds, and as for intimidating them
you might as we'll undertake TO frighten a
hungry tramp. When they make up their
minds to colonizs in selected locality, which
they regard as suitable for their business.
there is no way to get rid of them without
destroying the shrubbery from which they
chatter. These uuwelcome immigrants
brought with them reputation as scayen
gers, for usefulness in preserving vegetation,
fruit trees and the gardens from deyouriug
insects, on which they lived solely and en-.
tireiy. But they have failed disgracefuIlv
to do what was expected of them. They
have driven off all other birds, and have be.
come so pampered that they will not touch
an insect as long as they can devour grain.
fruit and everything that is valuable. Thew
detest the insects that they were imported IN
destroy, but love the milky wheat, the succu.
lent bud, the ripening fruit, and drive awav
every other bird Of beauty and song thai
makes our homes, parks, bowers and groves
so delightful. They multiply with friphtful
rapidity, and as the whole country ia bsinc
steadily overrun by these pests they ought TO
De regarded as an outlaw, public enemy to
be destroyed. Pennsylvania hascommenced
a war OF determination, and as the common
enemy has stormed and captured this city.
he should be driven from his fastuess, The
boys of Memphis are eager to take the CON-
cract to restore to our city the beautiful
birds which have been supplanted by de-
tested strangers. Let our city authorities con-
sent to the war, and soon the nuisance will
be abated. The sparrow must go.