The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-03-30
History Of the Sparrow.

III III NTllcW TtffHtlN iNf l'lNpdWh HlN'T
different account Of the introduction
into this country Of the English sparrow
from that which we have heretofore un-
derstood 1t has been commonly be-
lieved that that particular and obnox-
ious bird was first brought here through
mistake Of species. As in America,
England has n common sparrow that IL
n destroyer of insects The first import
ers. we heretofore believed, mistOok the
house. or English sparrow, for its useful
cousin, and with n good purpose in
view, brought number of them to this
country, in the hope that they would
multiply and aid the farmer in destroy
ing insects. How well they multiplied
and how disastrous they have been to
the farming interests are facts now well
known.
The Dispatchs version Of their impor-
tation runs ~ follows:
In many respects the history OF the
English sparrow in this country IL the
most remarkable bird history on record
The English sparrow. as Is well known,
il not native Of America. 1t had its
first home in Europc-chiehy in England
and is known there as the house spar
row. The technical name of the bird
il passer dOmesticus. Ii was not until
the fall of 1850 that the first sparrow
was brought to America Hon. Nicolas
Pike at that time brought eight pairs di-
rectly from England 10 the Brooklyn In
stitute. Between 1850 and 1881 addi-
tional sparrows were brought from Eng
land and turned loose in sixteen other
American cities. aud from these cities the
bird was carried to more than hundred
other places in about twenty-five OF the
States of the Union. 1t was not until
after the sparrow had become hopelessly
settled in his new home that the import
ers saw what gigantic mistake had
been made.
1T may seem strange to many that
the bird should have been brought here
at all, but yet the explanation is simple.
Many of the American people are OF Eng
lish OF German or French extraction, and
they simply brought in the bird to make
their new homes reminder OF their vine
clad cottages in the Old World, under
whose caves the sparrows made their
homes. The same idea that prompted
the Scotch emigrants to introduce the
terrible Scotch thistle into Australia, and
the Englishman the destructive rabbit,
also impelled the European settlers in
America to introduce the English spar
row. They just wanted near them some
simple reminder of home. But besides
this many people labored under the i'm
preston that the sparrow was an insect
destroying bird, and thought they were
advancing the interests OF gardening
when they imported the sparrow here. "
TO TAKE PLACE OF PIGEONS.
Interest in the trap-shooting of spar
rows in Richmond is most certainly on
the increase. Only about one month
ago, the first sparrows ever trapped in
Virginia were released before local gun
club in Broad-Street Park, and since that
time it is learned that nearly all OF the
other clubs will take the matter up and
place in sets of traps for the special use
of sparrows alone. 1t is most probable
that the impetus given the movement
here in Richmond will be felt in other
cities of Virginia, and will in time extend
to every city and town of the entire
South. II such should he the ease, it is
but reasonable to expect steady and
considerable diminution of the English
sparrows throughout the country. The
determination of the species from the en-
tire land can hardly be gainsaid by any
one who has made any study whatever
along the line or ornithology. The argu-
ments which have been advanced about
the sparrow, pro and con, have generally
resulted in the acknowledgment that
the complete riddance in the country Of
the little English intruder is consum-
nation devoutly to be wished"