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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



The English Sparrow. In a paper lately 

 read before the Long Island Historical So- 

 ciety, by Mr. E. Lewis, Jr., and since pub- 

 lished in the Brooklyn Union, we find the 

 following interesting particulars concerning 

 the importation into this country of the 

 English sparrow, and the valuable service 

 it has since rendered in clearing our city 

 trees of insect-pests. As many are aware, 

 the trees of Brooklyn some years ago were 

 overrun by a species of caterpillar (Ennomos 

 subsignaria), which, commencing when the 

 leaves were young and tender, devoured 

 them so rapidly that in a short time the 

 branches were completely bared, making 

 the tree an unsightly object, and greatly 

 injuring its health and growth. The creat- 

 ures also had the disgusting habit of sus- 

 pending themselves from the limbs, whence 

 they would drop in great numbers both 

 upon the pavements and passing pedestrians. 

 The maple, horse-chestnut, elm, and willow, 

 were- thus attacked, and their destruction, or 

 that of the caterpillars, was the alternative 

 presented to the Brooklyn people. All sorts 

 of expedients were proposed, and among 

 them the introduction of the English spar- 

 row. In spite of the failure of a previous 

 attempt, a second was decided on, and in 

 the fall of 1856 Mr. Thomas Woodcock, of 

 Brooklyn, at the instance of the Brooklyn In- 

 stitute, brought over from Manchester about 

 a dozen sparrows, which were liberated in the 

 following spring, when they flew away 

 toward Brooklyn Heights. Nothing more 

 was heard of them until the spring of 

 1858, when two pair were observed among 

 the ivies of Grace Church, where it is prob- 

 able that one or more nests were built, as 

 during the summer young sparrows were 

 noticed in the vicinity. Since that time their 

 increase has been enormous, and almost sole- 

 ly through their agency the caterpillar nui- 

 sance has been completely removed. 



According to Mr. Lewis, though feeding 

 largely on seeds, and in cities upon almost 

 every article of human food, the sparrows 

 feed their young chiefly with worms, larvae, 

 the soft portions of coleoptera, moths, and 

 other tender animal food. " By this means 

 the number of devouring worms has been 

 greatly diminished. The leaf-rolling caterpil- 

 larof the sycamore and the currant-bush are 

 known to be taken and devoured by sparrows. 



The inch-worm, too, is taken when young, as 

 is the Japanese silk-worm, which feeds upon 

 the ailantus-leaf. 



" But the sparrows destroy the caterpil- 

 lar family in a more effectual way than this. 

 The large female moths of the Samia cynthia, 

 or Japanese silk-worm, are seized for the 

 eggs which they contain, torn to pieces, and 

 the eggs devoured. So persistent are the 

 sparrows in watching for and catching these 

 moths, that a gentlemen in this city has been 

 unable to raise either worms or moths unless 

 protected from the birds. 



" The moths, both male and female, of 

 the inch-worm or tree-caterpillar, are eaten 

 by sparrows. After seizing the moth, they 

 will beat off its head and wings and feed to 

 their young the soft parts of the insect. 



" The destruction of the female moths 

 arrests the increase of the caterpillars in 

 a most effective way. But this is not all. 

 We have referred to the sparrows feeding 

 upon the eggs of moths after being de- 

 posited upon branches of trees. I have 

 watched them at this frequently during the 

 winter. These eggs are usually deposited in 

 places where they are sheltered by raised 

 or fractured fragments of the old bark, and 

 are covered with a glutinous substance. 

 The sparrow labors until 1 fairly weary in 

 breaking away the old bark and laying bare 

 the eggs, which it removes with some diffi- 

 culty, but which it nevertheless removes and 

 devours. 



" It is thus apparent that the chance for 

 a full crop of caterpillars is small where spar- 

 rows are abundant. Indeed, the disgusting 

 tree-caterpillar has disappeared from our 

 city altogether." 



The Brooklyn Institute has also attempt- 

 ed the introduction of English song-birds, 

 but as yet with indifferent success. Among 

 those brought over are the skylark, wood- 

 lark, goldfinch, robin, and thrush. Some are 

 known to have survived and produced 

 young ; but the general impression is that 

 our winters are too severe for them to do 

 well in this climate. " The sparrows," says 

 Mr. Lewis, " seem to be well acclimated, al- 

 though many have been found dead, after 

 severe frosts and snow. It is evident 

 that the severity of the climate, or some 

 other cause, has somewhat arrested their 

 growth, &s, persons, who are competent to 



