SUMMER BIRDS OF SHAW'S GARDEN. 61 



and had become more and more abundant, began to invade 

 the domain of the Tree Sparrows, driving them out of their 

 nesting and roosting places, thereby forcing them farther and 

 farther toward the outskirts of the city. In 1878 the inva- 

 sion of the House Sparrows and expulsion of the Tree Spar- 

 row reached the old city limits at Keokuk street, where the 

 writer lived at that time; but it did not stop there, but kept 

 on until at present there arc very few places in the city where 

 the Tree Sparrow survives. Even in the suburbs it has a hard 

 stand against its stronger cousin, but finds sometimes holes 

 which the bigger House Sparrow cannot enter or which do not 

 seem safe enough for him, because too low down. It is there- 

 fore easy to understand, how the weaker of the two species 

 became a tree sparrow, being everywhere forced to the trees 

 outside of towns, though both are equally anxious to profit 

 by the advantages which an all year residence near human 

 habitations affords. In countries where the House Sparrow 

 does not occur, as in China, the so-called Tree Sparrow is the 

 regular House Sparrow and in undisputed possession of all 

 towns, large and small. While an increase in the number of 

 the already too abundant English House Sparrow is not de- 

 sirable, our St. Louis Tree Sparrow needs and deserves all pro- 

 tection we can give, and St. Louisans should severely dis- 

 criminate between the two species, encouraging the one, dis- 

 couraging the other. If no discrimination is made and war 

 is waged against Sparrows, it is very hkely that the innocent 

 Tree Sparrow is the greater sufferer of the two, because of its 

 strangely confiding ways, trusting to the good will of man in- 

 stead of fleeing with its much more cunning cousin at the first 

 signs of danger. While it shares the best qualities of its 

 cousin, it is not aggressive and pugnacious against other 

 birds, nor quarrelsome among its own kind, but always gentle 

 and very much attached to each other; its tones, too, are more 

 pleasing and become even musical when concerting in chorus, 

 one of their favorite pastimes. Fortunately, Shaw's Garden 

 has always been, and still is, one of the few places in St. Louis 

 where the Tree Sparrow has found refuge and succeeds in 

 raising a few broods. It would be desirable to see boxes put 

 up for their exclusive use, which could be done by placing 



