New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-08-08
The ENGLISH SPARROWS.
THEIR RAPID GROWTH IN THIS COUNTRY.
MILLIONS OF DtsCr NDANT5 OF THE ORIGINAL
FIFTY rAlRS.


Fifty FAIRS.
1t is twenty years since the English sparrow was
taken from his home in London and turned loose IN
" Free America Probably the original colonsts have
gone the way of all flesh, but if they had the good
fortune to survive for ten years they must have rev.
oed in their practical demonstration of the multi
p cation table and felt much pride in viewing their
offspring any of the ancient patriarchs No English
sparrow now calls himself English He has much
right American citizenship the descendant of any
Puritan of the Maybe wer; his right extends back
through many generations. Superintendent Conk-
ln who has charge of the menagcre in Central Park
liberated fifty pairs OF the English sparrows in Central
Park in the summer of 1866. and from these nearly
all the English sparrows that be found in every
city, village and town Of the United States are de-
seconded.
81 have no doubt observed Mr.. Conklin the other
day, that it anything like census could
he taken of the English sparrows i'll this country to-
day. there would be pair OF them for every an
woman and chi'd the United States. l an not
wholly responsible for this affection, for acte under
orders but did not think at the time what Attic
ton they were to become, nor did any one else"
The sparrows liberated by Mr.. Conkln were not.
however the only ones that brought to the
try. month before about dozen pairs were set free
in Trinity Churchyard in the old New-York Hospital
grounds, then in Broadway near Rcadest., and i'll
Battery Park. Several persons known to have
brought over a lew of the birds aftorward. but no
other batch was so numerous the one brought to
Central Park At that time this city and many others
we're infested with pest in the shape of small green
worms an inch long. These worms hung from the
trees in summer by the tens of thousands, dropping
down under the collars of wcll-dressed gentlemen and
upon the bonncs OF ladies' and sacrificing themselves
in the most prodigal idolatry by strewing the side
walks in the paths OF pedestrians. The sparrows,
IT was said wond obiterate this nuisa rec and they
did Within five years after the first Importation.
there were little squads OF English sparrows in every
side street that boosted of tree. hunting up green
worms The sparrows grew fat. and the green worms
have disa cared 1t became the fashion for several
years for parties who into the parks, to take
tirccs of bread and crackers with them to feed the
sparrows The birds gathered on the walks and ate
these offerings never seeming to get too much. many
People built little houses and set them up IN the trees
about their yards for the sparf0ws. me sparfo"s
hoped into them and took possession with perfect
Within few wears these sparrow houses have
been falling into ruin from neglect. Few new ones
are out and the practice Of feeding the spar
rows in the parks has almost entirely gone out. Yet
the -uairows have been known TO complain ne
green and their progeny All dcNonrcd anu the
tree lunches of crackers and bread crumbs no longer
forthcoming, they have p,iosopi ically turned their
attention TO new methods Of subsistence fe" OF
and country villages. hut the greater number show
marked preference for cry life. Whrreyo; there ale
human beings congregdted, they find subsistence
r,aLlly There i. enough waste from every table TO
fafru a hole family of them and the sparIows nave
become KIND OF street scaTengers III large towns Inc
later generations seem to have Increased III size III
their new country. They fearless az game
cocks never hc,itatiug to attack other winged Great
urc~ For lack OF Other theltcr, they have taken
Procession within few years of the elevated railroad
structures which have lodging accommodations Tor
millions of spirr"wS
Mr. Conln'- estimate OF the resent sparrow census
n reaching the hundreds OF millions l. based on the
fact that these birds breed several time, III season,
frequently three times and sometimes Jour- eacn Tune
hatching out a brood al four yOuil- spariows Allow
inc tor I'LL casualties destruction OF nests and an eX-
cr-sivr mortality il would not require more u an TWO
breeding season, yrar in the twenty year, since the
original hfy pairs were liberated in Central Park, to
/ hfng the number OF their descendants Tar above
lOu.uOOuOO. Ihey are daring c"onists. anu as -oon
as rh yourg spairows lind their numbers IN LOCALITY
inconNcuiruty large. detachment VIII hunt mp new
foragng gronnus The rate of increase Is not rs great
now Mr. CoLkn considers. a. II was ten wears AGO
Their s.eat number, ard the real charac4 az oil the
bird hsve changed public sentiment and placed the
spArinw on the defensive. within n year or Two the
| English sparrow has made hs appearance IN the re-
siaurants IN the place oi the reed nfn anu ne n's
been found 50 good substitute that the price oil fteu
birds has declined i'll the market. There ateu Il sad
rNcral persons III the cry Who make a business oi
supplying sparrow. Tor te MAJ HTl' anu nuni'uI , az
/ eaten daily by New Workers The ehinese colony
have also found n of amusement IN training the
eparrow- liz hnL purposes. Their bills are tuDoen
down with line sand paper uhtn tn'S are a. sn ,1 90
needles and every stroke draws blood ana iealheIs
The birds will tight long rs any breath remains III
them and the profits of whole week lauhuiy puSi
uc-- are often -tabci aud lost on Sin lie oiri.
With these new dangers to combat IL Is prooaoic
| tlo, the limit of the sparrow population has beel
nearly reached. The chances are that they never VIII
lac c,frrmuatrd but without check TO Their increase
n few more would prohapN nave uI"ustn a,oo
plague of sparows. as Formidable as one OF haneas
| gra,-hOppcrs.