New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-28
THE CHIEF or BIRD PESTS.
ENGLISH spARROws AS DEsIROYERs.

COURAGEOUS, HARDY AND PROLIFIC CREATURES
WHERE THEY SPEND THE WINTER
"For downright pluck and perseverance and
cleveIness give me the English s. arrow; he's a
hard one to beat"
These were the words Of one of those peripa-
tetic guardians of the lava Central Park police
man. The man had been member Of the force
for several years and in assduous pursuit of his
calling had walked many miles throgh the byways
and highways Of the park, discoursng in his own
mind upon the merits and dement's of these little
foreigners
"Now where do you suppose that chap is going
20 spend the winter?7 he said TO young man
who had found him standing. legs apart and arms
al<mbo leisurely observing the toilet OF brown
backed, blaclI-brcasted sparrow Of the gentle sex
which perched on swinging limb Of a middle
aged elm, combing its feathers with its bill.
somewhere in the South I reckon said the
person addressed.
"Nawp" said the philosopher don't migrate
Don't migrate, Ell? Well, in box in some
tree in the Park ?"
"Nawp boxes all gone-rotted away or taken
down. III tell you where that pe-wee II bunk
this winter he'll stay right around here In these
trees and what time he amt flynn about and hunt
in for something to eat he'll be roosung on llmo
all pufed up as he is now
al should think it would freeze TO death"
$50 they do sometimes Many a winter morn
ing after an unusually cold night I've seen the
ground covered with their dead bodies, frozen hard
of 'em by fleezin they'd take the town in year
York City"
yet You admire their plucl19'
$50 | do : SO | do. ! admire pluck wherever /
see it, and you've got bushels Of it in these spar
rows When few of em first came over here
and fed EN-: but they never would use the boxes
they'd rather look out for themselves, which they
We ALWAYS done since I've known anything about
'em. ! haven't the heart TO kin one Of em, not
withstanling they're such a nuisance"
"What do they feed on?'
Crumbs mostly, SO longs there's oaoies IN
they seem TO 60 together You'll see babies come
toddln through the Park or r1din in their car
riages amunchn, Of crackers and cakes and tars
Spar7ows always on the lookout gather up the
crumbs soon as they get a chance Then like
most other birds they like worms AMI bugs and
flies such as they can find in the grass or weeds
or On the bark OF the trees"
FioclSs of sparrows are stin to be seen in the
smaller parl1s OF the city. In Madison Square
there is an old weeping willow tree in whose
decayed top all fun OF holes a few of the birds
seek refuge. Others find comfortable quarters
under the bronze coattails Of William IL Seward OF
beneath the chair in which he sits day AMI night
Still Others make their homes Ter the caves OF
the little house near the centre Of the Square
During the dav they keep an eve n the toddlerS
catching every crlmb that falls from toothless
gums. ..
Fnrlish sparrows in this State. but in Pcnnsy
vania and PERHAPS two or three other States. boun
tics are paid for their heads so much hundred
Rovs made ample pocket change for a time by the
use OF rubber Sims and blowGuns. but boy-hke
thoy soon grew tired of the snort Of wholesale
murder of the little birds and the sparrows left
10 themselves, continued tO increase with remark
able rapidity Statistics on this point are inter
cstine The newly -orCanized division Of economic
ornithology Of the Department Of Agriculture IS
prenarIng series of bulletins urOn the relations
Of several common Species Of birds Of this country
TO agriculture Among the bird nests winch
threaten destruction to valuable bran hes OF farm
inc DR. Merriam. the head Of the division. plare'
the English sparrow as chief This little creature
has So multiplied and developed among It's new
surroundings as to have become vastly greater
scource than the caterpilars and worms IT was
expected to destroy. It's present rate Of increase
is enormous and the new territory which it IN
wales is estimated al more than 10000 SQUARE
miles annually II is essentially town bird. hui
IL takes long vacations in the fruitgrowlng sea
sons and "wreal1s its fastidious appetite upon
the largest and iuciest Of grapes and the daint
lest of tree fruits in which work Of destruction
lis aggregate of damaTes is almost incompatible
perhars DR. Merriam will suggest some means
nv which the Government can control these unruN
foreign born citizens II has already been nro
posed that their further Immigration he checked
bv the levying Of poll tax which England Shall
obl To INV