Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06
THE GOPHER

The trouble is that an exotic animal upon be-
ing introduced, usually finds itself in a situa-
uon OF great advantage for multiplying. Ii has
left all its old enemies behind it, aad those
creatures which might attack it in its new en-
vlronment require some time TO get on to- it.
SO to speak Thus the crows IN Oregon have
only just begun to prey upon the eggs of tie
pheasanEs. having ascertained the nesting
habits of the latter. Inasmuch as nature al
ways makes allowance for destruction by foes
IN providing Tor the propagation of any beast
or bird. tine fresh immigrant Is apt to multiply
enormously and to become q nuisance Gem
eraiiy speaking, such experiIne hts are danger
Gus as are being tried by acClImatiZatIon
society IN Portland. Ore. which has within
the last few years brought over from
Europe and let loose thousands of birds in
the valleys OF that state-among others the
nightingale. the song thrush. the European
yellowhammer and the English black bird
which Is closely allied TO and very much Ike
our robin These birds were caught by pro-
fesslonal bird catchers II Germany and Fp-
land and sent across the ocean in casc.. SUP
pied with seed and cuttlebones. Skylarks and
starilngs have been imported similarly COLIN
les OF both being established on Long Island
where they were wiped out b. the great biz
GARD So far the starlings were Concerned
rms was probably fortunate. because they are
voracious grain feeders and would have been
AAeAy 10 prove most detrimental
DAMAGE BIZ THE SPARROW
In America is sufficiently familiar one. In
Australia, also, where it was introduced. it has
been doing millions Of dollars worth of DAMAGE
yearly. and not long ago the main issue in The
cleo uons there was drawn between The .-sparrow''
AND the "antl-sparrow men. all politics being
made subordinate TO the question whether ,ba
government should undertake the extirpation
OF the bird At present III the land of the kan
CARGO organized efforts 10 this end are hen,
made, one OF the most effective being TO carry
sack of poisoned grain with a sinai! hole in II
at the tail-board of a wagon. travelling ever the
roads ana leaving Tor mile after mile a contin-
Gus dribble- Men also go about with long poles
bearing hooks, with which they pull down the
nests One person IN this manner can destroy
hundreds OF thousands OF eggs and Young in !,
single season Nevertheless, put little impress
mon seems to have been made thus far upon
their numbers.
The injury done to Australia bv the impru
oence OF standardization societies can only be
estimated in thousands of millions OF dollars
Rabbits. introduced from England for pur-
poses OF sport, have laid waste the country de-
stroying the crops and almost annihilating the
eneep farming Industry. Poisoning and shoot
ing, the artificial propagation of diseases
among them, wholesale canning Of rabbit meat
and tne exp ortatlon OF SKINS and furs have had
small enect IN diminishing their numbers Fer
gets, introduced to attack them have in their
tLrn proved q nuisance. deyouring the farmers
chickens In like manner the owls imported To
goboie the sparrovs have exhibited q prefer
ence for the meat of domestic fowls Foxes
brought across the seas by sportsmen, have
multiplied greatly and proving a bane
Even humble bees, fetched for the purpose O,
fsrtilizing clover, which depends upon their
agency in this regard, threaten to become so
numerous as to consume all the honey which
The honey bees would otherwise have an op-
portunity 10 collect
Taking all these things into view the govern
nent OF the United States is inclined to disap-
prove Of the importation into this country Of
domestic animals without its own authoritative
superintendence. Uncle Sam will fetch the
oenSooss and viii keep an eye upon it for .