128 Agricultural Gazette of N.SJF. [/'>/>. 3, 1908. 



It is a scavenger in tdwns, which furni ih(; crntics frcin whith the ncii^h 



lioui'injj; country is invadcfl. 

 Iloniid hinhhutis it ai'cunmlatcs liltli :iiicl is a nicaMs of cniitaiiiiiiat iiig th(^ 



wak'i' supply. 

 Tn ])ast()ral districts tlie hi'd j:i\es little trduhlc. 

 [t is in the farm the Ijird causes most loss. 

 It has spieid mainly along the railways and inads. 

 Thei'e is no uiuversal ieme.d\' wliiili will get rid of the Spariow. 

 Extermination is impossilile. 



Prevention of increase is po.ssible, a.s also is reduction in numbei-s. 

 Bounty laws have not been a success elsewhere and are liatdly likely to be 



so here. 

 The Sparrow always nests elost' to the habitations uf man. 

 The Spai-row needs to be reiluci-il in nuiidiHi-s and kept in check. 

 AVe must look to the individual to carry out the necessary work. 

 This can only be carried out by orgainsed, uin'tecb and per.-istent effort 

 renewed each year. 



Every year this matter is left the birds will increase enonnou.-ly, and 

 prol)ably the required labour and expense to be incurred in tighting them 

 will be largely augmented. 



There are signs that in the not very distant future a fiesh '• I)nlince of 

 Nature'' will be ai'rived at; in this country in relation to the Sparrow and its 

 present want of natural checks. This position has, according to a writer in 

 the Scientijic American, apparently arrived in tlu^ United States ; largely 

 brought about there by the native flesh-eating bii'ds, the Hawks and ( )\vls. 



We should, however, do evervthiiig in oui' powci' to encourage the birds of 

 prey likely to make use of the Sparrow as food. None of tlie small Hawks 

 shoulfl l)e destroyed, nor should the Ikitcher Ih'rd. They ha\(' only been 

 destroyed in the |)ast through a misunderstanding as to the nature of their 

 food ; they may do a little harm but they do a very large amoui.t of good. 

 "We cannot affurd to wait for this possible and prol'al)le cour.se of events as 

 the damage increases with the numtier of Sparrows. 



With the expenditure of a litt'e time and money, carried out on i o uperat i\(' 

 lines, the local agricultural and related societies supjilpug the machinery, it 

 is (juite possible to bring the i)est within reasonable bounds during the next 

 few years. The experience of our local society has shown that with one 

 effort, carried out at a bad time of the year for the purpose, the nuuibers can 

 be considerably reduced. Without doing anything else, pre\cntion of breed- 

 ing would alone answer the general purpose in view : the sit \iat ion-, in which 

 they breed adiiut cf this being doiu\ 



Everything points to two lines of work as likely to ^i\-e the best results if 

 anything is to be done at all- - 



I. Prevent them breeding. 



'1. Reduce them in number by poisoning and shooting. 



If the former is carried out. tln'y will become reduced in number gradually 

 through t' e operation of natural auencies. 



