The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
THAT FELTHERED ENGLISH PEST
The N..ers.s B.a Traits OF the Toe Cem-o.
Little sparrow.
Ho~ the Youth, co--pa>sorL

The Nurseries, B.d Traits OF the Toe Cemso,
Little sparrow.
No~ the Youths Companion
The parasitic finch. properly called the hoes
sparrow, BIT known throughout the Cni;ec
States rs the English sparrow. was brought Il
hi. country fret in 1850 from England. Othei
sparrow importations foil and the bird
multiplying prodiSiously. had spread by lsst
over the settled parts OF nearly all the State.
from Maine to Alabama and thence %northwes:
erly 10 Missouri and Wisconsin. He had alsc
coionized here AID there in other s,a'es ant
certain Territories. Today he is found in III,
cite. end settled towns Of ncl.lv the eniir,
couhtrJ. Up TO Feb iary. 1896. he had 20,
rea he'd the northern plains OF Wyoming and
Montana, tn. staked plains OF Texas and New
Mexico. or the larger portion OF what Is known
as the Great Basin.
The sparrow was ntrod ac~d into our coun.
try BY Northumberland IN one instance b. q
city Government i'm the belief ihat.he would
preserve tho trees o. towns and cities hy de
s~troying harmful insects Al frst lie was tos.
tered and coddled az no American bird had
ever been. A, he multiplied his popularity
wancd rap.dly.
To-day. ty nearly every observan, resident
Of the United states. aad mphatc ally by nat.
uralIs;s. he 1, pronounced a pest, who adds to
h"N ~ "a 80 AN NeN1 NE ava n .tN aAspg
aaces well elassed a. insults. Common obser-
walton fully proves again S; him the following
Charge. with many Others which cannot be
here specified:
J.. lie IS r~nslean. Outdoor statuAry Is de-
hlet. and cemeteries. resiaences. and public
buildings are Kept ioil externally By tais bird.
and his ccloaizings rsuidlv force the desiruc.
ton o: orranneatai vines trained upon hoases
and ChLrches.
:. His hahi.ual note IS a noisv. ;oyiess
'RltvE ~ witch Y n invalid aEA noe AEhar
persons Is onensl,e.
). He Is rao,i injTrious robher aai destroy
er. When thesraTrow can ind enough o. such
matter: lie mainly lives pon parily diSes;ed
grain froA stree drnpplncs: wheL he cAnaot,
be Eapaeious.y, sgol s orchards. VINEYARDS. sAr-
den.; and grain fields. CT pliers poultry food.
As the horse ciSlppear- from our -iTects. the
sparrow viii turn more and more TO these
yIuEC OF american birds. which lie now ire
duent!y DESTROYS. The s.ar.ow AZ times feeds
his young on Injurious insects. but
!. He Is q prosecutor and suupianter OF nj.
merous highly useful and delightful American
.jirds- many OF teen sweet sCucsiers which. IL
sccis than tAe sparrow ever moi. sts. Prom this
AT probably arise. :he alarming Increase here
OF the devRsiA;irc "NAporer" moth.
Qpite 10 the point is ti!s fresh story. Just
told nc oy a prominent American orn!iholo-
r..i: Las; SUN mer." Gays this observer. Il
garden. a pair of Least fycatchers'-iru- na-
tive insect dest:oyerS la, ~ as large rs IN.
compact nest against a 1 zen English SPARROW.
The spaTEowt. IN concert. moved ausG Vt The
nest in .Sradually mar. ow!ag circle. Keeping
10 a sort ~ death dance Ike tae carers OF can
piacEy little n-s; 5Toprleiors aunr ihemsciye.
knocking = .,Arrow fairly over. bat the cIrcl.
slowly narrowed. auG az last 10th fy est hers
the lower Limits o! the tree. There, With .ui-
spread wings. they lay paatuc. The spar
lows now closed e. uoon the ne.i ami le-An to
DICK 4; 10 pieces. iossinS .mouiAfu!s OF 81, in
mere malice a. u seemed. 10 T;Esl AID let.
snon an er.!-lcokiCg srarruw srr"nc 20 is
neT OF the fcatEere5 e-s th!v:. b.; AZ ika:
flashed into s!sh; Aad drove the !a,rgie- better
lit;!e nair, cAr'icc ce.re:ateiy usc- the rob.
Der sAns. triGmGhaaIv routed -, Those
raised theis broSG II. 'rracc with hoso-. "'
This l. refreshing testimony. raror;u-
nately. hotever. the native h!Hi yields si=-t-
~. as a rule, 10 tie oqtaumbe-! = inter!oper:
From streets and .aTks aud gardens z. and
Aoout our cities and .arSrr towns the pcs;
sparrow has nearly O. oia!!v expelled alraos;
every native bird once Asuuiin: there. Less
than twenty vars ago my home. q. a busy
sireet OF a city. was GTacei by the log stNy
OF the white billed and barn swallow. The
song and ch!rptn- sparrow. the robin. nud tae
Ba.i!:norr oripie-a.l o: whom bird about il
rrmainins OF the ch;chAiee., .ced-; bird;
downey wood oecSer, yrl!o" warbler, relieved
nuthatch AID Other gentle naive b.r.s.
EHeep:tns a lev reluctant r9bius. they Ions
MaSsArhus-i's Sa.e. House barr swallow,
bred mt long AZ. They, too. have t!~i before
late now. from years rnd 10 \. ar end 81
every bird but The wrong one. Making over
4 %recently before leahnc-ou, Kline. ! could not
nest -: a,y American bird. In the lof;y elms.
where formerly swrDG nest after nest. woven
Ia ,irnre orio,e. | rorid discover in The way
OF bird homes or'y uns!chty heAps NJ trash
throw,a together :or nurseries hV the PARASITE.
saeh. in substance: IS the state 81 alta r ali
over our country. wherever the English s2ar.
TOW has obtained full lotG nent. rrm!y t..
lieve this departure OF American birds 10 be
due not tn mere cowAnd.c-. ba. rather 10 a
hichly honorable wish 20 bring up 1heir chill.
dren apart from unc!ean. pry:nc. loud. noGIhrd
iIi, pa,.ow nelsnburs.
Has the EnslisA spar.ow -' Ally des;roy~d
a distance; We ,ahaot certainly sAy. Tiers
Is Srount for :ea-ins Ia, 49, has in manv SIS.
our other uftsn birds have re;-.a;eA " So, %.
Try districts or the wiid-rress-s here. a'as. -he
pest : following theu-and q is possible.
th9Hsn hrriiy proeAt!e. that IAe!s ranks are
Other cyl. deed; Of these !nter!opcys are tie
ne,t rubbish. tie Grdlins q %ois,ern wa'cr, =.
sniarGrCing 81 tourdrSvs by ;kvi- readily ic.
MED nests, the, sa'n.se-GI she Sou;h-of
secis. and the hs-horinc OF the c.cs or quar-
OF deN"ststin- insect: like tie gypsy moth il
a4AiA ANAN NFtlE HNSk-.
To Offset his proved harm. the 7. cl!sh srar.
row IN America can truly plead no uracUcal Or
sentt mental good whatever. G.SserUlh,e to rNst
unparalleled prsons. He s. probably ,r,s en-
Titled 10 prutcc son than the Cnpn.ou ra,, and
IKE the rat, Is inuh; .eS> GrSlin-t 10 Ahi!r w!Ih
US Can we, then. essen the larln @. tie
s.ArroN b. tiCaiul.Ain: his uumhrr>f
In the eastern Cn'lei States, though Re SIN
swArms there, he seems u - l~-.scU.ns slightly:
rerhAOs because Dls aLIGr-l EAf'-"u enemies,
the t.tle saw wheiowl and Uo'tlel O~l. have
,oWoWed him 70 uopu!cns centres. and are even
beginning 10 breed IL CIV spires. The sharp.
shinDrd hawk, another Eastern ruCny. Las also
followed him To town. h, La= tNe'shr!Ee,
DESPITE the sparrnw's Oh'TaSl,r familiar.
tiN, lie s. rrTha9>. the most wary hir! vr-r
this continent. II Rvc sever ct teen abe"
SAYS an CNpcrt observe. ITO Trap suuurtsr
spssrows h. aGy device whatever. Last spring.
~ 40 eNper!mea'. ! SPREAD oats. uIirarue,i and
Gnro! naei, ~ M EA-a"g. G.c s:Sr.uMs,
Tearing some plot. never loLrhvG al DsI.
ono CaN - vasEA, !0rs 90: saHwh!r!s set.
tied on thr cats. The siGrrnV> wa.,r! fCs'
long enough 1, make snrv that these ,~l,.tarts
and aElslri it,"
~ a device IKE the o!l-iash.onc! pirecn
net the srArrow may, however. je IrAupai in
quantities, Al! then mrTC!!-lly ki.e! Ard II
some localities ssri fur !p.!. Tie!r ac,;s.
too. may te systematically G-sT.ugra: rrl.e-
method. followed without waUlr'. esS, q a.
scrcdlN lQ' ii.At c. tur native U.-.. mar Ia