New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-05
DAMNED BY DULL COAT
Sparrow Condemned Where More Beautiful
Birds Pass Censorship
To the Editor Of The Tribuna

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
| Sir: We live in Monmouth County. v I
keep our cats in psddocks from April AN
October, and have feeding stands and b,ts.
ing places for the birds, not 10 mention bird
houses galore. We have not known the wr.r
sixty yars," Ike Mr.. Shields, no having =,
advantage OF age, but 1t has taken much Lea,
time for us to discover the dear littis bov,.
wrens pugnacious ways. We have man
birds about our home, being able TO list forty
kinds any springtime without hunting.
Many English spsrrows feed with otse,
birds on our stands, and ws can honestly say
never have We seen a sparrow attack and
drive away other birds Male cardinals c,e,,
tho stand and piggishly enjoy a sohtarv
meal. Robins do the same, and moro unrsa.
sonably, since they never deign 20 eat Their,
Catbirds bully more or less, as DO song spar
rows. Mockng birds in the South frequsntl,
hide in ths bamboo, Just over bird STAND
apparently for no other purpose than o,
pounce down and drive away smaller bird,
which come to feed. And turtle doves tho~
sweet symbols Of peace held up By Mr
Shields as satisfactory example 81 To en-.
phasizs By contrast the wilful ways Of lit,ls
English sparrows, these very doves, say,
quarrel with each other at the feeding board
driving off and following up certain Of their
| kind not in favor 70 make effective punish.
mentl
An English SPARROW and his wife chose I.
certain box to begin housekeeping, and start
ed carrying material for their nest fss
days later a pair OF wrens fancied the sane
box, though several yet unoccupied were
close at hand. battle ensued and lasted
three days, being immensely interesting 70
the human audience. For energy, agitation
and strength OF purpose, SparroVs were no
match for wrens, tho latter winning out By
complete evacuation Of the SPARROW Lks
some people, after attaining their hearty DE-
sire these tickle wrens abandoned the hons.
OF their choice and built in another.
This little tale merely to show that birds
jus. as naughty as English sparrows pass
censorship, which suggests the question; i,
! it because sparrows are such plain little
birds, having neither gay manners nor pg.
mage, nor yet beautiful throats, that the hue
and cry is against them? If they wore car
/ featneI6,
| fonder? At least these little cockneys may
/ be credited with mental superiority, they are
the quickest Of all 70 meet new situations,
self-reiant and fearless in attainment o.
what they need, and veritable Pollyannas IN
/ bleak, cold winter, with no feed in sight save
Z possible free restaurant. One bitter white
morning / found a poor little English cock
/ frozen stiff against a column OF the porch,
and I'll wager his CHEEKY chirp was in EVIL
dence to the last I will not yield to ssntl-
ment in this defence Of my humble friends
I might, but ! prefer 20 present their Gauss
| in the light Of cold justice.
/ Last summer starlings and sparrows occu-
pied the same apartment bird house withou,
dissenson, Notwithstanding the bad rating
of both species.
! The real worth Of birds and many low.y
creatures is not generally known, even 70
| farmers, who, listening TO harangues against
sparrows. readily agree, without self-obser
walton of facts A farmer watching t6'
noble robin jerk s fat worm out Of his neaW
turned furrow may think this especial bin
| is doing him a service in Kidding him o. q
pest But the great nature student DARWIN,
could tell him a very different story Of use
/ fulness OF earthworms 70 the soil.
/ There are two things Of which am glad
/ in this unequal conflict Of man and birds ln
Country Life in America is an article m
defence Of sparrows, and in other publies'
/ tions Of weight opinion is deferred TIL more
convincing data for and against their use
/ fulness are At hand.
WILLIAM HICKMAN.
! New Smyrna. Fla, Dec 80, 1916.