Evening star., 1901-10-18
SPARROWS NOT PESTS
AMERICAN SPECIES ARE VALUABLE
TO AGRICULTURE.
Report From Agricultural Department Il
That Only English SparrOws
Are to BE Feared.

Sparrows are well known and have figured
frequently in ornithological literature. but
the position they occupy in relation to ag-
riculture has heretofore received but little
consideration. 1t is evident that a group
of birds so abundant. so widely distribu-
ted, and in such constant association with
farms and gardens must play an important
part in rural economy and that a thor
ough investigation of their habits should
produce valuable information for the faf-
mer and gardener Such an investigation
has just been made by the Agricultural
Department and the results compiled IN a
paper by Sylvester d. Judd, Phi. D., an as
sistant in the biological survey 1t indi-
Gates that native American sparrows--in
marked contrast with the introduced En-
glish sparrow-have an agricultural value
greater than that of any other group of
birds whose economic status has thus tar
been investigated
The native sparrows,' reads the reporl,
ARE the most abundant and widely distrib-
uted of the small birds inhabiting the rural
districts of the United States Wherever
there are farms these charact aristic little
birds may be found nesting III richard,
berry patch, vineyard. or ;edgerow, en-
livening the shrubbery from dooryard to
outlying field with their songs or in Win
ter rising from the ground and nutiering
from bush to bush before one who inyades
their hauntS. As group they are con-
stantly present on cultivated land, although
many of them retire to the south during
the winter and their places are taken by
other species from the north.
Feed on Bugs and Seed
knowledge of the food habits Of binds
is of great Importance in rural economy
Ignorance Of this subject is In part re-
sponsible for the grave mistake which was
made in the introduction of the English
sparrow. To the same cause has been due
the passage of bounty laws for the encour-
agement of the indiscrimfnate slaughter of
hawks and owls. notwithstanding ,hc fact
that some Of these birds of prey are high
ly beneficial to agriculture.
1T Is hardly to be expected that such
seed eaters as sparrows should destroy as
great a quantity of insect pests as birds
that are entirely insectivorous When il is
found that in the food of the native s,.ar
rows such pests average but y per cent Ii
Is only what might be expected. Still this
percentage, when compared with the pr
centageS found In the cases OF some other
birds, is no mean showing The rcd-uinycl
blackbird's Is less than 20 per cent, The
catpird but 16 per cent the cowhirds ) 13
per cent and the crow blacknir1's only 10
per cent
Birds ms Weed Destroyers.
But as weed destroyers the native SPAR
rows are unrfvaled. In a garden within
two months they viii sometimes destroy 80
per cent of such weeds as pigeon grass
and ragweed. After they have consumed
most Of these seeds they turn to those of
other weeds, which furnish them with a
bountiful supply of food all through the
winter and even well into the Spring
Weed seed forms more than half of ;heir
1000 Tor he entire year, and during the
colder haif OF the year it constitutes about
four-hfths OF the food of many species
When the food of the native sparrows
Is divided, The neutral part proves 70 be
small, not exceeding a third of all that is
eaten the injurious part very small and
the beneficial part much larger than that
OF most birds. and from five to ten times
as great as the injurious part. We may
therefore safely conclude that, as a class
these small birds are we'll worthy of our
protection.
1T Is not at all uncommon for a field
single meal In the stomach of n Nut
tails sparrow have been found 300 seeds
of amaranth. and In another 300 seeds of
lambs quarters; tree sparrow that was
examined had consumed 100 seeds of
pigeon grass at a meal, while a snowflake
taken at Beaverdam, Wis. which had been
breakfasting In a garden in March, had
picked up 1.5O0 seeds of amaran.h.
The seed element Is of particular inter
est only when II shows destruction of grain
or weeds Injury to grain OF fruit by birds
Is usually the most prominent ard often
the only fact of economic ornithology pos
sessed by the iayman; yet comparatively
few birds harm either of these crops. while
agriculture by destroying weed seed
English Breed Obnoxious.
''The obnoxious character Of Shc English