Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-16
CONDEMNS THE ENGLISH SPARROW.
Habits and Work Of This Bird Imported 10
Portland.

That Ora W. Knight is no friend of
the English sparrow is shown by his ar
uclc in the State board of agriculture
bulletin. Concerning the bird he SAYS:
The English sparrow. well known to all
is common throughout the State. thanks
90 to the ill-advised enthusiasm of the
parties who thought they We're doing the
country favor in importing this bird a :
sure panacea for all the insect pests of
the century. From the first import tions
into Maine, at Portland. in the early sos
the sparrow hosts have increased to mil
lions. From a careful study of the birds
and their habits and diet during a num-
Der OF years. the author has been enabled
10 form conclusions which are concordant
with those of other observers
During the winter the food of the Eng
fish sparrow consists almost entirely of
undigested grain CLEANED from horse
droppings. eked out by scraps of food
thrown out by numerous kindly hands,
and grain spilled from the nose bags of
horses which happen to be fed in the
public market places. These same things
continue to be the mainstay of the tribe
for the entire year. In the spring they
add "A few insects to their bill of fare. but
these consist almost entirely of such
bugs, moths and beetles. as are attracted
to the electric lights of the cities and
rendered incapable of doing any more
harm. In the late summer. when the
wheat, oats and other grains are ripen-
ing in the fields a few miles out of the
cities. the author has seen fiocks of hun
dreds OF these birds feeding on the ripe
grain. AS these bros are found in the
vicinity of many farmhouses. along we'll
travelled roads. and in every small settle
ment. ii will be seen that they can easily
do considerable damage to grain.
They nest in the cornices and cutters
of buildings. in any accessible holes and
crevices. and in the ivy and woodbine
buildings. Their large nests of hay are
unsightly structures. the breeding place
of lice and other vermin as well as young
sparrows, and the eXcrement which i
literally distributed serves to render the
foliage unsightly. The unceasing and dis
cordant chatter of the birds outside of
the vine-covered churches is not the
pleaSantest sound to hear, especially
when trying to become interested in the
sermon. though of course the birds are
not to blame for this.
They are pugnacious in disposition
and drive many of our native birds to
seek other homes. There Is plenty of
evidence to prove this. and evidence that
they sometimes do not interfere with
other birds proves nothing. The martin
houses are seized upon by the sparrows.
and on the return OF the martins in the
spring they either have to fight for pos
session or retire from the field. Other
birds nesting in bird houses are dispos-
seSsed in similar manner.
In June. 1899. when the tent cater
pillars We're laying waste to the foliage
of the city trees and crawling every
where over tne Wills OF houses. SptTToNs
We're seen leaving their nests. which had
numerous caterpillars crawling over
and about them. to dPlve for treasure
trove in the savory deposits of the near
by street.
TN late fall sparrows have been often
observed feeding on the seed of knot
grass tPolygonum aNiculare). and there
is no doubt that they do a little good by
destroying the seed of this and other re-
lated weeds. Whatever good they do
would lie done by many of our native
birds with less than half the fuss. blus-
ter ana Importance assumed by the Eng
lish sparrow.