Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-02
Down With the English Sparrows

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
1 read with considerable surprise the
statement of Northeast in reply to ''Ob
servers" statement in The Star, that the
sparrows destroyed thu cherries.
L know from actual observation that they
do it. Close by my window L had fine
cherry tree, from which for some years We
gathered a fine crop of cherries, but when
the sparrows became numerous our cherries
began to disappear. Time and again my
wife and self sat at that window and watch
ed the little rascals go from cherry to
cherry and bite out a piece, when, of
course, the cherry was destroyed. This We
cid season after season, until finally they
became SO numerous and persistent IN their
destructive work chat We ceased to get any
cherries from the trve.
l did everything possible to drive them
away, but in vain.
Moreover, it is well known that the SPAR
row, both in Europe ard America, is a
gramntvorous and not an nsectiverous bird.
In Germany SO we'll is this understood that
a bounty is given for their destruction.
In 1889 the Agricultural Department pub
iShed a volume of over 400 pages, contain
ing the result of its Investigations as to the
sparrow in all parts of the country. OF ABS
replies two only were favorable to the spar
row, five partly favorable and partly I'M
favorable and i3l wholly unfavorable to the
sparrow.
These answers We're from persons who
thoroughly Investigated their habits, they
having dissected the birds ana examined
the contents OF their crops; and WElle IN a
few instances they were found to contain
some Insects, the great mass of their con-
tents were vegetable, including nearly all
kinds of small grain, buds of the cherry,
elm, maple and Towering shrubhery of all
kinds. From Germany the report is that 1t
eats cherries. and in the spri.:s picks off
the bud at the top of cabbage plants and so
destroys the young plants.
Not only that, but the pugnacious little
rascals have driven away nearly all our in
sectivoI GUS birds and our songsters.
For years mouse wrens nested in my yard
and protected my shrubbery from insects,
but after two or three seasons battling
with the sparrows they gave up, and not
one has been seen now for several seasons.
So well is it's bad character becoming
known that several of the states have pass
ed laws to abate the nuisance. In New
York the law provides for furnishing any
one who feeds them or puts up bird houses
for them by a years Imprisonment and a
fina OF $1,000, and their law for the preser-
walton of birds expressly provides that it
snail not apply to the English sparrow
Cpasser domesticus).
In Ohio they have instituted annual hunts
to destroy the pests, and an account of one
of these hunts now before me records tina
destruction of 5000 sparrows in one day.
T.ey a most intolerable nuisance in
every respect; and am surprised that any
intellig INT person at this day will pretend
anything else.
The man who introduced them with the
mistaken idea that they would destroy the
caterpillar and similar worms so injurious
to our shade and fruit trees, did great
harm to the country, and if living should
repent Tin sackcloth and ashes"
The law of the District imposes fine for
their destruction or that of their nest The
Commissioners and others ought to unite
and get the law repealed; and on the con-
trary l would bs glad to see bounty Ct
fered Tor their destruction, for they are an
unmitigated nuisance, and, like the Span
lard. have Tot single redeeming trait, not
one. w. c. DODGE.
June 1, 1858.