Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-03-26
SPARROWS ARE
HERE IN SWARMS
Two Years Operation Under the
Bounty Law Proves I'm
availing.
SOLUTION OF EVIL A PROBLEM
Conditions in the City and in the
Countrywide Others
Nests.
SOLUTION OF EVIL A PROBLEM

With the first breath of spring spar
rows feel licensed to congregate on
the streets in noisy and impudent
So uads and rend the air with inharmo-
NOUS Jabbering. For some reason the
sound of their monotonous CHATTER,
even with the accent of promise that
characterizes it at this season does not
awaken in the human heart that same
thrill of gladness which responds to
the first notes of the robin. The sim
pie truth is. the sparrow, like the
bluejay, outstays his welcome, and
his renewed impudence does not take
the place of the refreshing greeting of
his migratory fellow songster. Under
favorable conditions the breeding sea-
son of the sparrow begins in February
and continues till well into cold
weather. During the season an al
most incredible mum Der of young are
raised and sent out to contest for
place in the world.
All Have Same Voice.
One interesting point in connection
with sparrow communities is that
they are pure democracies. ALI men,
bers of either sex have the same voice
and all exercise it. In the matter of
Matching. and raising the young also,
there seems to be little difference be-
tween the duties assumed by the male
and the female birds.
The reason the sparrow is an unde.
sirable quantity in large numbers is
that he always unceremoniously GUSTS
the greater part of the native birds.
He is enabled to do this because he is
thoroughly unionized. His organiza-
tion is perfect and there are no bosses
to usurp the authority. The call of
any one member is sufficient to bring
out every bird within hearing, and it
is then the sparrow against the world.
They do not seem to be ingenious in
devising nests of their own, but de-
pend upon other birds to begin them.
The plan they adopt is to wait till
some feathered innocent gets nest
we'll under way aud then in his alb
sence to deliberately take possession.
When the owner comes home he finds
squatter on his claim. When be
essays to do battle the impostor calls
Justify for help and in twinkling
has the entire sparrow community at
his back. If the rightful owner is
discreet ut this juncture he will grace
fully retire. For a crowd of spar
rows, like a gang of newsboys. are
no mean adversaries.
Facilities for Nesting.
The limit of the sparrow population
in cities will be determined by the
facilities for nesting and it is through
the destruction of these that they can
be most effectively combated. They
do not take kindly to indoor homes
and If reasonable care is taken in con-
structing buildings so that the birds
cannot get base for their nests they
will have to go elsewhere as their
numbers increase.
In the country the conditions are
somewhat different and the capacity
of the sparrow for harm is almost
infinite. Here he builds readily in the
treetops, in the hedges and under
shed roofs, and his food being COM
posed principally of grain he can do
deal of mischief to ripening crops.
The adaptability of the sparrow and
his ability to impose upon other
classes of birds lead to unexpected re-
suits in some instances. Near Rock
Island, and no doubt in other places,
wherever swallows build their nests
in clay banks. digging back in some
cases for a distance of two feet or
more, the sparrow takes possession in
the winter when the builders are
away. When the latter return in the
spring they find their houses occupied
and nothing is left for them but to
build new ones.
Two years experience in the opera
ton of the sparrow bounty law have
shown that the payment of a bonus
for cruelty has been unavailing as q
means of exterminating the species,
and it remains to find other and more
humane remedies. Pre- badly the
method suggested above, of destroy
ing haunts and nesting places, will,
in cities. at least, prove an effective
expedient.