Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-27
ETHICS or sPARRow-KILLING

|
Partly because 1t is bird and es-
| pocially because il is so frequently
| mentioned In the Scriptures, some peo'
| pie have rightly inquired into the
| ethics OF sparrow destruction. recently
recommended in these columns.
Is IL right to kill one Of the birds
honored In the sacred record by tho
| words Of the Savior? Are not fivc
| sparrows sold for two farthings? and
NOT one OF them IL forgotten in the
sight Of God" These words prove,
however that the sparrows OF Pales-
tine were regularly killed and used Cor
food: and since ii is only question
OF either destruction of the imported
sparrows or the exile OF the native
birds and the loss Of our crops. we
have no other alternative. at present,
than TO lessen the numbers OF this tho
meanest and lowest of the sparrow
family.
Certainly young boys should not be
encouraged or permitted TO kill them,
Such occupation soon gives TO boy
the killing habit, and he fails to dis
criminate between the sparrow and the
useful and worthy native birds. More
over. as we have said before, a boy who
has wruns the necks OF say fifty nest
ling sparrows or has robbed the nests
OF these birds. is not precisely the same
boy that he was before the commission
OF such deeds He has been brutalized
and lowered IL his sympathies ana in
the inner elements Of character; and the
soul of one boy l. Of more value than
many sparrows Besides, all the spar
rows except this one have n preponder-
ance of good traits and Of habits use
full to ourselves.
In its true home which was probably
Arabia. the various sparrows were
beneficial birds, and were extensively
used for food. and there is today no
good reason why English sparrows.
when trapped or shot, should not be
utilized for food in this country, as they
have been IN the old World for con-
turtles. Their flesh IL palatable and
nutritious, and In city restaurants they
are often served under the name OF
reed birds.
sparrows are frequently mentioned In
holy writ: these plain little brown birds
OF domestic habit and fearless dispose
ton must have been numerous in the
land OF Palestine. illing the bushes and
trees OF every tillcr of the soil with
their lively chatter Pllny. the Roman
writer. mentions the neat little hop
with which the sparrows travel on
foot. and the beautiful nest and cleanly
habit OF the Kind he describes. From
Galilee TO the sea coast, various spar
rows ncsted I'm thorn and bramble
bushes, others In the grass. the vine
yards. and the trees and while the
women cultivated their onions. beans.
lentils. melons. and cucun,-
hers. the busy little sparrow nestled |
among the small bushes or on the gourd |
and grape vines covering the arbors
and houses" They claimed also the |
shelter Of the temple for their nests:
and the Bible makes It evident that |
All temple birds were protected when /
around houses. However. "out In the
valleys, among the foothills. in the
hramble and thorn thlckets. the SPAR
rows fiocked and we're shared and net
ted without mercy. And this" continues
Mrs. Porter. In her Birds OF the hi.
bic" was the basis OF the reason why
they 50 love to build and md food
near homes. Further south. in Judea.
the climate and location was not SO
There they did not nock.
but were found In pairs. Today in the
Jordan Valley the thorn trees can be
seen to be almost weighted down with
nests, and sparrows are taken in the
greatest numbers FOR food. so that 1t Is
a truly wise bird that nnds a home for
herself If II is the home OF people,
'he IS always sure OF safety. Iftis