The record-union., 1896-06-07

There has existed from time imme-
mortal the world over an almost rever-
ent feeling for the sparrow. 1t is al
luded to many times in Holy Scripture
in both the Old and New Testaments,
and yet these little feathered citizens
of the air have become such a nuisance
that all thought Of reverent associa-
tion dissolves into the past, and one
wonders what can be done to disperse
the little vagabonds, which in a truly
piratical spirit have driven away our
choirs of delightful song birds.
The English sparrow Passer domes-
ticus), truly named house sparrow, the
name English sparrow being mis-
nomer as the species is not confined
to England, but is native to nearly the
whole of Europe, was imported from
England some years ago by Boston
gentleman, who argued strenuously IN
favor of domesticating them in our
country as a means of eradicating the
divers scales which threatened destruc-
ton to our tropical vegetation and
fruit trees.
1t was not long until they had multi
piled to such an extent that they be-
gan to emigrate, and now California
has a large population of these pests,
for which she has paid the price OF
large proportion of her lovely song
birds, which are ever driven away
wherever these aggressive little Great
ures make their homes. The fecundity
of these birds is amazing. In these lati-
tudes and southwark one pair of birds
matches as a rule five or six broods in
a season. with from four to five in
brood and it has been estimated that
in ten years the progeny of single
pair of sparrows would be 30, 116,9S3,-
6gS. Is il astonishing that We are
overrun? The native birds that have
suffered most from these belligerents,
and have been largely driven from our
parks and private gardens, are the cat
bird, robin, wren, bluebird, long spar
row. chipping sparrow, California ca
nary. oriole and phoebe. The English
sparrow is not only the enemy OF our
native birds. but of the gardener and
fruit-grower as well. He is an enemy
To Crane culture, and in short, to every
thing in cultivated vegetation There
is q lovely old place in our city wnicn
| have often noticed in passing that IS
simply a colony in itself Of these dirty
feathered vagabonds. The old BRICK
dwelling, setting back in its surround
ings of orange and palm trees, is over
grown like some ancient castle with
English ivy and climbing roses, which
echo the livelong day to the incessant
chatter of these noisy creatures. The
htYbbub they keep up is as annoying
as the disorder they create on garden
paths and shrubbery, and often Won
DER how the owners of this home can
endure the pest without taking some
measures to eradicate it. If the city au-
thorities are not interested enough
to take measures in this III
rection to remedy the matter 1t
would be well for private individuals
to cultivate the propagation OF cats,
which are natural hunters, and Will go
great lengths to secure so dainty meal
as is offered in what they consider their
lawful prey, and as the sparrow ever
builds about houses and buildings that
are inhabited, it makes them easy Of
access TO the feline hunter.
A strange and romantic story has
lately come to light, whose principal
characters are now happily domesti-
Gated in the little town of Winters, in
Yolo County. Twenty-one years ago
the husband of Mrs. Dina Duval of
Nashua. New Hampshire, left his
home, Ii was supposed, to go West.
This was the beginning Of long
and weary separation TO the wife at
least. Until a few months ago Mrs.
Duval heard nothing from him in any
manner whatever, and several weeks
after he left home baby girl was born
to share her loneliness. The mother
being left without support, labored
hard, early and late. to care for her
child and educate her properly. and she
grew up under her mothers careful
training to young womanhood, know
Ing nothing of the father whom shs had
never seen. At last, after twenty-one
years OF anxiety and waiting during
which Mrs. Duval had almost grown to
believe him dead, she received letter
from her husband, asking her to come
TO California and join him, and in her
reply he learned for the first time that
he had a daughter. 1t is a strange
though not altogether uncommon
story, but the example of one woman S
faithfulness and patient waiting is
almost unprecedented. During Duval'S
long residence in California he has ac-
cumulated considerable property, ano
is now worth some S25,00o 1t is to be
hoped that in the years still left TO them
he will endeavor to the utmost to rec
ompense his wife and daughter for the
long years of privation during which
he left them unaware of his very ex-
istence.