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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



We have received fui'tlier reports concerning Blackbirds injuring 

 English AValnuts by puncturing them while they are soft and grow- 

 ing upon the trees. As reported last year, their purpose in making 

 this injury is not known to us, 



A great deal of our correspondence has been upon the subject of 

 the English Sparrow, due to a bill introduced in our State Legisla- 

 ture by Hon. William Barnhart, providing for a careful and accurate 

 investigation of the economic features and habits of this bird and 

 the methods of destroying it if found advisable, and the publication 

 of a special bulletin upon this subject, also appropriating one thou- 

 sand dollars (|1,(J0U) for this purpose. It is thought its failure to 

 pass the Legislature was due to the provision calling for "investiga- 

 tions" of the Sparrow, thus giving him a fair chance to be tried. It 

 is our opinion that had it called for the extermination of the 

 Sparrow, it would have received favorable action by the Legisla- 

 ture, but the important question would then come as to the methods 

 of exterminating the English Sparrow in a way that would prove 

 safe, effective, and not too expensive. Various methods would have 

 to be devised and tested, and we fear that after all is said and done 

 we must acknowledge the presence of this nuisance of the feathered 

 tribe as a necessary evil that can not be abated. 



One correspondent wrote us that he had succeeded in poisoning 

 the English Sparrow and destroying it in his region by the use of 

 poisoned millet seed. He fed the birds on untreated seeds until they 

 became accustomed to them, and after a few days soaked some millet 

 seed in water with a very slight touch of strychnine added, and then 

 dried them and mixed one part of these poisoned seeds with nine 

 parts of unpoisoned seeds. The birds ate this mixture without sus- 

 picion and were killed by it. He said he found w^heat grains too 

 large to be readily sv,allowed by the English Sparrow without it 

 having to taste the bitterness of the strychnine and become suspi- 

 cious of the material as a food. This is a suggestion worthy of the 

 action of persons desiring to kill the English Sparrow^ and thus 

 avoid loss by its ravages and driving away our native birds. It 

 should be remembered that poisoned grain of any kind must be 

 placed where it will not be found and eaten by poultry. 



The last Legislature also saw the introduction of a bill providing 

 for making the Flicker a Game Bird. This was championed by a 

 representative from one of our eastern counties, but upon the ap- 

 pearance of your Ornithologist before the honorable Oomraittee on 

 Agriculture, by invitation of said Committee, and his speaking in 

 behalf of the Flicker. f=howing that it is a beneficial bird and should 

 be preserved, the bill fortunately died in committee. 



The Screech Owl fortunately is becoming more abundant in some 

 portions of our State, as popular sentiment is increasing for its pro- 

 tection, and it is permitted to nest and remain in hollow trees and 

 posts and other available places in boroughs. As it increases in 

 number the English Sparrow and mice, upon which it chiefly feeds, 

 decrease perceptibly. We have recently had a very gratifying re- 

 port from Ooatesville, Pa., confirming this statement. The Screech 

 Owl is among the chief enemies of house mice and the English 

 Sparrow, and we hope to see it faithfully protected around build- 

 ings and iv. villages where it should become much more abundant. 



