Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-10
THE PEST OF THE PERIOD.
How an Imported Nuisance was Intro
duced and Fostered.


duced and Fostered.
Prom the New york Sun.
The English sparrow, or, more properly, tho
house sparrow. was FIRST brought 10 this country
In 1850 by the Hon Nicholas Pike Of Brooklyn,
and Of all the European immigrants il has
proved the most undesirable.
The bird was imported with q view 10 lie &C
climatization, on the theory that IL was in
sectivorous, and would assist in Kidding Us OF
insect pests not DESTROYED BY native birds.
During the fifteen years from 1855 20 1870 there
was . mania for propagstins these SPARROW.
which extended from one end OF the Union 20
another, and passed over into Canada More
OF them were obtained from Europe. ana az
they increased here they were Transported
from one place TO another BY the enthusiastic 40
that the price of the birds went up 70 such
import them directly. Everywhere they we're
protected with great care, even 10 the enact
ment OF town ordinances, and IL was proclaimed
as o sin TO offer any harm TO the precious birds
The result was that by 1856 the English spar
row, 80 called here, though il is native 70 nearly
the whole OF Europe, had firmly established
itself in thirty-fye of our states and five Of our
territories, occupying en- area OF $4,000 square
miles- IL Is q remarkably hardy and prolific
bird, and it has taken kindly TO its new home,
ever, because Of an abundance of its favorite
food. The rapidity Of the increase and the
spread Of the sparrow in this country has been
wonderful There Is nothing like II in the his
tory Of any bird. Unknown here so recently,
II has already become one Of the most familiar
OF birds, and the more IL is known the less is il
admired; in fact, the more IL is detested
The house sparrow first invades the larger
towns, then the smaller, and finally spreads
over populous farming districts. 1t is more at
tail 10 Axrsll H..
bird, and il it can get food and accommodation
enough in crowded places IL remains there by
preference. In this country the enthusiasts
who stimulated its propagation on a false
theory OF Its habits assisted IL in gratifying this
natural taste. They introduced the sparrow
into towns all over the Union. and coddled il
as il it were mans best and most useful friend
Yet, as was foreseen by all ornithologists. null
tiplying enormously under such favoring cir
cums:ances il has rapidly made Of itself an in
tolerable nuisance, against which severe meas
ures must be taken. Its fecundity is amazing,
single pair often rearing from twenty to
thirty young IN the course Of the year, and IS
the sparrow enjoys the protection afforded by
the proximity OF man, IL is saved from enc mics
which check the increase OF other birds II we
assume the annual product of pair to be twenty
four young, half male and half female. and that
al alive, IN ten years the total progeny would
be 275,7i6. 9SS, 69s. OF course the actual in
crease is only small fraction Of that total, but
AZ
as parasite upon man, the sparrow has de-
yeloped extraordinary intelligence in avoiding
the attacks of other animals. Cats are far
more successful in catching the wariest Of our
native birds than in catching the sparrow VERY
few of our native birds kill IL or eat its eggs
and young, the most useful in that respect
being the northern shrike, which visits most of
our northern cities during the winter and feeds
freely on the sparrow. But the sparrow en-
thusiasts went so far as to wage war on the
shrike because Of this disposition. The blue
Jay tackles the sparrow in some of the towns
of the Mississippi valley, but in this region il
Is rarely seen IN summer and therefore does il
little damage. The sparrow hawk and the
screech owl pursue il successfully; beside. they
eat large numbers Of insects and rarely attack
native birds. On its side the sparrow is an en-
terprising and remorseless enemy OF very many
other birds, and because Of this disposition and
its fighting qualities it accompanies some Of
its worst damage.
The sparrow is a grain-eater by preference,
the notion as to its being an insectivorous bird
having had it's origin in the most astonishing
ignorance on the part of the original importers
There is no doubt that il is injurious 20 grain
to seeds Of various kinds, that il causes a de-
crease in the number of native birds in gardens
and on farms, and also IN cities and towns, and
that II is pest on many accounts; but IL the
sparrows consumed great quantities of injuri-
Gus insects they would serve some compensat-
ing useful purpose. Unfortunately. il il not an
habitual insect-eater. 1t does not prefer insect
food, and there is no species of insect which is
not much oftener devoured BY native birds that
the sparrow drives of.
The good and bad characteristics of the SPAR
row had been discussed in Europe for centuries
before the bird brought hither by the
enthusiasts, and yet they paid no heed 70 the
warnings OF European experience. Mr. Jabez
Webster, who made inquiries in England about
the bird. reports that intelligent farmers and
horticulturists were everywhere astonished that
We should have introduced so destructive and
worthless bird" into this country. Since the
sparrow has become better known the same sur
prise begins to be expressed here, and now in
many regions Of the country the question Of
the best methods of getting rid Of II il under
consideration In some cases laws protecting the
sparrows have been repealed, and the state OF
Michigan offers bounties for their destruction
A general and immediate repeal of all laws
favoring the birds Is recommended, and the
enactment of laws legalizing the killing Of them
at every season of the year and the destruction
OF their nests, eggs and young and making il
a misdemeanor to give them food or shelter
Intentionally or to introduce them into new
regions. Laws should also be passed TO pro-
tect the shrike or butcher bird, the sparrow
hawk and the screech owl, as natural enemies
Of the sparrow.
The case against the sparrow is summed ND
by speaking of il as a curse of such yirulence
that il ought to be systematically attacked and
destroyed. Yet we invited the evil OF rather
the ignorance of would-be benefactors imposed
it on us. 1t is only another example of mis-