The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-09

THIS BRITISH FAD MUST Co
Scientists Declare the English
Sparrow a Nuisance.
HAS NOT A SAVING TRAIT
How the Little Pest Was introduced
Into America and Its Advent
In Washington.
HAS NOT A SAVING TRAIT

1t Is written in the records OF tho
Agricultural Department that the first
pair OF English sparrows came into the
District OF Columbia in 1872, when they
were seen by Edwin Hoimead aud MichaeI
Durkin.
Now 1t has been calculated from care
fully prepared statistics that a single pail
OF sparrows will bring into the world
progeny whose living offspring will. at
the end OF ten years. lumber 275 ,0O0,-
100000. Each OF these 275,OOO,-
600, 900 will, according to the estimate
be responsible for another 275 900 900.
900 at the end OF the next ten years
and, as 1t has been over twenty years
since the INTRODUCED on OF the sparrow
into Washington bird society, We now
have theoretically sixty-five quadriIlions
hopping around our streets.
Ofcourse, various causes have operated 70
make the real number only a small frac-
ton OF the estimated number
The English sparrow, or, as 1t should be
called, the house sparrow, was first brought
here, 80 far as autheD tic information
basreached the Agricultural Department. in
the fall OF i $50, when the Hon. Nicholas
Pike and other directors OF the Brooklyn
Institute imported eight pairs into Brook
Ign, n. Y. From time to time, up TO 1873,
various colonies were brought to America,
the eDtirenumber aggregating about 500.
+
over the country. They first invaded the
large cities, then the smaller cities and
towns, then the villages and hamlets, and
finally the populous farming districts.
HOW THEY ARE SPREAD.
As the towns and villages become filled
the overflow moves off into the Country,
and the sparrows' range is thus gradually
extended. Occasion ally, however, it is
suddenly transported 10 considerable dis
tances by going to roost in empty box
cars and travelling hundreds of miles.
When let out again. ii is quite as much at
home as In its native town.
The fact that more or less nest building
is done by the sparrow all the time has lea
many people to suppose that the sparrow
breeds continuously, but such is not the
case at least in temperate climates. In
Washington the first young out OF the
nests may be seen in April, but they are
not a bu ndant before the first week in Nj
or after the last week in August, though
doubtless few leave the nest in septem-
Der, or still more rarely In October. Spar
rows rarely or never raise more than SIX
broods in a year and In this latitude sell
don, over four. 1t has been claimed
that the birds which are hatched in the
spring often pair and raise young daring
the ensuing summer or autumn, while
another theory based OF observation, which
would help explain the rapid increase OF
the sparrows, is that the female bird hays
and continues to lay Il succession or eggs 80
long the weather / S not cold, and as the
yoinr attain 4 sufficient amount of strength
they are expelled from the nest.
The checks which have operated in the
past TO limit the increase and spread Of the
sparrowsare oftwo kinds. First. those hos
tile influences, due solely to man; and,
second natural causes. As regards nat
urai enemies, the sparrow is remarkably
favored, for, from It's constant association
with man, it escapes nearly all the perils
which restrict the increase OF native birds.
1t is generally supposed that cats must
catch many sparrows, but in point of Tact
IL is rare for an adult sparrow to fall into
the clutches of this enemy, and even the
young are not often caught. few Of our
native birds kill sparrows or eat their eggs
and young, but this class is very limited,
and except in rare cases the number de-
stroyed is Insignificant.
ITS BIRD ENEMIES.
Proba bly, the most useful birds in check
ing the increase OF the sparrow are the
northern shrike and the blue Jay. The
crow blackbrd also kills some sparrows.
Prof. Robert Ridgway, Of the Smithsonian
states that he once saw crow
on the Institute grounds engaged
In "a ting the youngsparrows. Thesparrow-
ha wk and the screechowl prey upon spar
rows, and their presence in cur parks and
about our houses should be encouraged.
so long S sparrows are abundant. Both of
these birds eat large numbers OF insects, !
aud rarely attack native birds.
Sparrows when introduced int any town
1t once find theirs selves provided with an |
of food. The hooks and cram |
nies about the buildings furnish all neces-
sary shelter and the best possible resting |
)laces. Proximity to man insures partial |
from the ordinary bird enemies |
md so for dozen generations their increase |
S rapid and steady.
AS they increase in numbers the first. |
heck is likely tn come from a n insufficient /
lumber of good resting places and in |
;ase this want is met, the supply of food |
nay at last become adequate. Then fol
owsa natural and. gradual extension into
he surrounding country, or along the roads
o neighhonng towns and cities II these /
owns belong to grain gro wing districts !
EI