, 1889-08-22
LITTLE ENGLISH TRAMps.
Noisy sparrows and the Great Nuis-
ance They Have Bccome.


For purely gratuitous and unneccs-
sary nuisance, unrcdeemcd by single
good quality, the English sparrow ranks
first and iormost, says the Chicago
Tribune. This ugly little dirty y-brown
object was introduced into this country
some years ago when Il sentimental fad
pcrvailed in some of the eastern cities.
1t was solemnly advanced by the advu-
Gates of this noise and dirt making
nuisance that 1t possessed all the vir-
tues which pertain to- birds. The
cheerful twitter of the sparrow was 10
enliven the parks and open spaces of
the cities, while he would earn his own
living, aud combining himself to
strictle animal diet, would rid the gar.
ldcns and trees of countless myrlaCls of
worms and insects. The introduction
of the sparrow into the United States
was about Us brilliant an achievement
us the importation of the English rab-
tish thistle into Canada. Thousands
of pounds arc spent yearly by the
governor of Australia as bollntics for
the destruction of the fout. footed pest,
and thousands of miles of fencing have
been built ut great eXpenco to keep them
oil the farms. Even the resources of
science have been called into play, and
NJ. Pastcur has tried with little success
to abolish the rabbit plague by the
dissemination of chickcn-chOlcra mic
robes. OF the million of dollars worth
of farm land which has been ruined by
the scotch thistle any farmer can tell.
But it, like the. sparrow has come to
stay, and the plague is constantly ON
the increase.
The sparrow in no way justities the
claims of his advocates. He is Il noisy
and dirty bird, and instead of living ON
worms and insects he delights in ruin
ing gardens 10y digging up seeds. lie is
OF " most pugnacious and quarrclsomo
disposition, ~ perfect lShmaelite OF
birds. with his beak against every other
bird Two or three years ago Douglas
park was vocal with the sweet notes OF
hundreds of native American robins,
and to-day scarcely one can be seen or
heard. This unnuturalizcd foreigner
has driven away the birds TO the man
nor born, and lords it triumphantly
over all the smaller teathered songsters
| When first introduced in the Eastern
cities--iOr it was by Boston angloman-
iacs that the interloper was first wei
coined to these shores-the sparrow
became the fashion and lot of senti.
mental sIush was written and printed
about his reported good qualities.
Boxes for nests were provided i'll the
trees in the public parks. But with
the native meaIness which is his 9rin-
! clpal characteristic the sparrow de-
cllned to occupy these homes. Instead
OF that lie stacks up half bushel of
/
under the caves of houses, where his
! litter is most UNPLEASANT in evidence,
With a persistence worthy of a better
cause the sparrow deyotes Himself when
not fighting with other birds or running
Garden crops to the prbpugation of his
Species. Rearing from two to four
| broods per anntm. the sparrow is en-.
gagged i'm notification from April until
! August, and as each brood usually
numbers five, the multiplication of this
persisteut pest is becoming alarming,
In various states legislation has been
had and measures taken to prevent the
| lencrai CsssiiIs NJ. Clav declared fiat
"the ENGLISH sparrow must go.n He
saws that LEGISLATION, private bounties
for the heads of the yagrant bird, traps,
poisons, and the shotgun must be en-.
rloved To exterminatc the nest. His
ide9 is that the sparrow will if per-
mitted TO go on his evil way, cost the
| limited States many millions of dollars