Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-09
WAR ON The SPARROW
BIOLOGICAL SURVEY ADVISES
THAT ENGLISH VARIETY BE
TREATED AS vERMiN.
CUMMING IN ITS ACTS
AND DESTRUCTIVE IN HABITS

Comparable to the Rat In It's Eco
monte Relations, Say Scientists.
SUGGESTIONS Offered For Destroying
the Little Pest--How Michigan Wars
on Sparrows.
Persons living in suburban towns
and villages Of the United States must
not be amazed if they find their next
door neIghbor out on his lawn on a
frosty night with the garden hese un-
reeled and discharging a jet of icy
water into the crevices and caves OF
his house Nor must he be astonished
in the warm spring nights to come IT
his usually sedate neighbor is discov-
cred discharging small roman candles
into the vines he has sedulously cul-
tivated and draped over his front We
rauda. He will only be seeking to
drive out the English sparrows after a
method suggested by the biological
survey and published by the depart
u1ent of agriculture as Il farmers bull
letin.
Indictment Of the Little Alien.
1t is a new thing to find the bio
logical survey the enemy OF any bird.
but the scientists of the survey wholly
and unreservedly condemn the English
sparrow. They say that in it's eco
nomic relations the English, sparrow
among other birds. Is comparable to
the rat among mammals and call il
cunning, destructive and filthy. Ned
Dearborn of the biological survey in-
diets the fecund little alien i'll these
terms:
1T destroys small fruits, buds and
flowers of cultivated trees. shrubs anu
vines. In the garden it eats seeds us
they ripen and nips off tender young
vegetables as they appear above the
ground, peas and lettuce being espe'
cially subject to attack. 1t damages
wheat and other grains when newly
sowed, ripening and In shocks. 1t re-
duces the numbers of bluebirds, house
wrens, purple martins, tree swallows
cliff swallows and barn swallows by
destroying the eggs and young and by
usurping the nesting places. 1t at
tacks other familiar native birds, as
the robin, wren, red eyed yireo. cat
bird and hooking bird, causing them
to desert parks and shady streets OF
towns. Unlike our native birds whose
place it usurps, itehas no son, but Is
noisy and vitnperative"
Not Protected by Law.
AS an incentive to the thrifty house
holder to destroy the English spar
rows Mr.. Dearborn urges that theiI
flesh sis palatabl and nutritious. ana
in city restaurants they are Otter
served under the name OF. reedblrds.
English sparrows die not protected by
law in the United States and may be
killed by any means anywhere ut any
time and III any numbers.
A number OF suggestions are offered
for destroying eggs and nests and fol
trapping, shooting and poisoning the
little pests. Mr.. Dearborn suggests
building one room bird houses or put
ting small boxes or tin ems in trees
and then capturing; thefbirds at night
with the aid Of a long handled net
He furnishes illustrations and dia'
grams showing how these tmprovised
nesting boxes may be built and put up
In all ways the scientists recommend
that the English sparrow be treated
as verinin and assert that, although
it's determination is impracticable.
reduction Of its numbers is feasible
and important
How Michigan Fights Sparrows.
The English sparrow was introduced
into the United States about sixty
years ago and is now distributed gen,
orally over the eastern seaboard and
southern Canada and locally westward
to the Pacific coast This rapid dis.
semination is result of the birds
hardness, extraordinary fecundity. di
vevsity Of food, aggressive disposition
and almost complete immunity from
natural enemies through it's sagacity
and it's preference for thickly settled
communities.
Michigan has already started war
Of its own on the pests. 1t does not
feed sparrows. 1t pays bounty for
their destruction instead. AS con.
sequence boys and unemployed men
are busy these days and are reaping q
financial harvest. In one day recently
more than 1000 Of the feathered pests
We're delivered by three boys to the
city clerk at Saginaw, who gave in re
turn vouchers emitting the slayers tC
cents bird. Charles Halzer had
26S sparrows in his first lot and 269 il
his second; Allie Williams bag mum
bered 37i and Fred Browns 1877. The
Michigan law is based on the idea that
the snarrows are highly objectionable
birds from every point Of view. Spar
rows on which the bounty has beer
paid are burned in the city hall fur
mace. -
That and Hard Work.
Diligence is the mother Of good for