The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-15
THE ENGLISH SPARROW.
A Study Of the Hardy Immigrant Who
Has Como to Stay.

oOSlOn lIdnSCTlpLss -
row TOF gaseer d Seagse ass S Mss i hnslrsed s fpom
England to New York; later, in 1858, to
Maine, and in 1868 10 Boston, to protect the
which were then destroying them. Now. in
1895, they have reached as far north as
Cape Breton. am told; foliowing the path
the far West and South; the country Is
overrun with them, Their increase per
Country cean " town to-day that has not a few
pairs breeding within it's limits.
Passer domesticus is the business man
among birds, and IL he were classified by
systematic ornithologists for his actions
alone it would be a difficult task In the
country he plays at times the woodpecker,
the fycatcher, but rarely the true sparrow
or finch; he is a vagabond, a tormentor, a
pugilist, a Quarrelsome rascal, but for all
that he has a decidedly knowing air-even
If a little braggadocio. And IT is these
moving sharp. wide-awake qualities that
have given him the foothold he now has
upon American soil.
lied and true citizens by this date, and, like
all incoming immigrants. have come 10
stay. Even II they spend their days In
teasing our own American birds, who have
more rightful ownership to the land than
our very selves, It Is beyond our power TO
put them down; determination is practically
Bold hearts beat in their small breasts;
the rigors of our New England winters
they defy; The buying of the apr, approashing
OIlt 0oI - AA&ANs $1,000 1
feeding until 1t is upon them before taking
wing, or hop calmly TO one side. They are
umbrella reach of every wayfarer. yet they
stare with fearless eye.
In Bristol, r.; Il they build their homes
In the base OF tae ospreys nest, every
slovenIy structures. The stone heads of the
famous artists and scuiptors that adorn the
front of the Boston Art Museum are pill
lowed upon this sparrow's nest-a droll
thought.
1t was only yesterday that / watched one
as ss he torp bad 5 n,s DIown Sre fwirk,a ah ne his
brown eyes, but he met his match In the
creeper. Al every dart of the sparrow the
himself and his foe by quickly moving to
the right or the left. until l was glad TO
see the sparrow become discouraged, find
ing the creeper a tartar at lodging. and
he gave ND trying to tease him as a bad
lob and departed, while the victorious Ger
thia went calmly on with his spiral course
common occurrence and afforded him much
life.
Too often have seen these little immi-
grants put some gentle though larger Amer
lean bird TO fight, and the day Is not far
distant when our COMMON. rightfui friends DIS
driven further into the backwoods.
IL the nest of this sparrow was a beauti-
full specimen OF % Dir ho,,,d a re dt,r x;nss t any
cornices. but such ugly. slovenly structures
are an eyesore. If the plumage also Of this
sparrow was Of more brilliant or more re-
fined colors they would add to the beauty
of our streets; imagine hocks of snow
buntings. of indigo birds. both of the same
family, F~ringillidae-the first Wit us In the
winter. the latter in the summer-about
our cities, or even song sparrows, whose
plumage is far superior to the English
mans. though the song sparrow is a plain
bird. The English sparrows have no song.
and their wranglings. Gatherings and squab-
blings crate upon ones nerves.
Yes. their importation was a decided fais-
ure and is. I think, so admitted by the
American people. Far better had the time
and energy been spent in increasing our
own insectivorous birds. the Baltimore orr
ole. for example. whose tropical plumase.
interesting ways and wonderfully beauti-
full pendant nest would have
rather than destroyed the beauty of our
public garoens, streets and commons.
bulletin No. 1 of the Division OF Econom-
ic ORTHODOXY and Mammalogy of the
United States Agricultural Department
shows that in ten years the progeny of a
single pair of sparrows might amount to
90. ZIG. eSS, $685. and 1T also states that dur
ing the year 1886 the sparrow added ap-
proximately 51S,5O0 square miles to the ter
rito-y occupied by It.