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STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



T" Song Sparrow ( Melospiza fascicdQ ) . Many of these valuable birds have 

 been killed as English sparrows. The song sparrow is about the size of 

 the English sparrow. The crown is dull bay, which is finely marked with 

 black. The bay part of the crown is divided in the, middle and bordered 

 on*^ the sides by light strips. The throat is light bordered on either side 

 by^a dark brown streak. There are two brown strips on the side of the 

 head, the upper of which extends back from the eye. 



The Tree Sparrow (Spizella monticola), Field Sparrow (Spizella 

 aqrestis) and the Chipping Sparrow {Spizella domestica), all can be told 

 from the English Sparrow by their reddish brown crowns; the last two are 

 much smaller than the foreigner. 



The other common birds of 

 this family {Fringellidoe) can 

 be easily distinguished from 

 the English sparrow by the 

 description already given of it. 

 While some birds of other 

 families have heads somewhat 

 like the English sparrow, they 

 can always be distinguished 

 from it by the form of the 

 bill. Thus the thrush family 

 (Turdidce) all (see Fig. 3) 

 have bills — as in the cut — 

 larger and more slender. 



Fio. t.~Outlin« of bill of spai-row and cat-bird. 



DESTEUCTION OF THE SPARROW. 



There are a number of ways to destroy the sparrow. Trapping by 

 means of a bird net is practiced by experts, but the sparrows, considering 

 their numbers, are the most difficult of all birds to catch. The gun is a 

 more ready weapon. In city limits where the sparrows are the thickest 

 this can not be used except by persons having authority to make this their 

 special business. Probably the most successful method is to use j)oison. 

 Wheat soaked in a solution of strychnine, in a proportion of one dram to a 

 quart of water is one of the most efficient poisons. However, experience 

 shows that this compound is too rapid in its results, as some of the 

 birds begin to be affected before all present have taken a fatal dose and 

 when once scared away bj' the dying agony of poisoned birds, the others 

 never return. Arsenic mixed with corn or oatmeal in the proportion of 

 one part of arsenic to ten or fifteen parts of meal, by weight, makes a less 

 expensive poison and is more slow in its action, thus giving all birds 

 ample time to get away from the feed before they become affected. In order to 

 obtain the best results the birds should be fed for a few days at first, pure 

 grain of the same kind that is to be poisoned. Great care must be taken 

 not to let poisoned grain get in the way of children, domesticated animals, 

 oi native birds. This is not difficult if it is carefully watched during time 

 of exposure. One of the best means of keeping the sparrows in check is 

 by destroying their nests. This may be done by everyone wherever the 

 birds build, and if carried on in a systematic way will help much to keep 

 the English sparrows within bounds. 



Seven states legislate against the English sparrow. Of these, four 

 simply except it from the protection aiforded other birds. New York 



