EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 213 



THE ENGLISH OR HOUSE SPARROW. ' 

 {Passer Domesticus.) 



By C. B. Cook. Bulletin No. 62, Zoological Department. 



From time immemorial the English or house sparrows have been a 

 serious pest in Europe. When the art of writing was invented, this bird 

 was chosen for the hieroglyphic character signifying enemy. 



It is strange, considering the well-known reputation of this sparrow, that 

 any one should have desired to import it into America. 



That this species is rapidly overrunning the country is a well-known 

 fact. Darwin states that newly introduced species, either of plant or 

 animal, will always outstrip the natives. This fact is exemplified by the 

 English rabbit in Australia, and the cabbage butterfly and English 

 sparrow in America. The close association of these birds with man, their 

 superior intelligence, and their gregarious habits, do much to free them 

 from the sharp competition, to which many of our native birds succumb. 

 The sparrows are hardy and little troubled with disease, while most 

 carnivorous animals that prey upon birds prefer taking native species 

 rather than risk their lives near inhabited dwellings. The food supply 

 that limits the increase of native birds affects the sparrow but little. In 

 winter they have access to corn bins, horse ordure in street and road, 

 chicken and barn yards, while an endless supply of food is found in field 

 and garden during the summer. One of the worst obstacles with which 

 the sparrow has to contend is climate. The cold, wet storms of the north 

 kill many birds that have recently left their nests. However, the great 

 enemy of the sparrow is, or at least ought to be, man. If the bird is not 

 held in check ere long he will overrun the continent to such an extent that 

 agricultural depression will be still further augmented. 



The injuries which the sparrows do to the farm and garden vary greatly. 

 Where there are but a few birds to the acre, the damage is slight, but 

 when they number as many thousand then they become a serious nuisance. 

 Buildings and shade trees that are constantly employed for nesting and 

 roosting purposes become foul with their droppings. The injury to shrubs 

 and trees where these sparrows abound is two-fold; first, by their filthy 

 habits, they injure the foliage; and second, they feed extensively on the 

 fruit and blossoms. Where sparrows abound in large flocks, no fruit, 

 grain, or vegetable is exempt from their attack. Most large fruits are 

 destroyed while in the blossom or soon after. The bird picks off two or 

 three petals and then swallows the young fruit. In this way a whole crop 

 of apples, pears, or plums has been quickly destroyed. Also in the east, 

 near some of the larger cities, it has been with difficulty that any grapes 

 have been grown. The kinds of grain preferred are wheat and oats, which 

 suffer the most at the time of harvest. In France it is estimated that ten 

 million bushels of wheat are destroyed annually. In a few cases the 

 sparrow has helped to check the ravages of the army worm and canker 

 worm. However, the sparrow does not eat many insects. The young 

 birds are fed on soft, easily digested food for a few weeks, and at thi» 



