No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 47? 



We have had many inquiries from persons who wish to aid the 

 birds to colonize around their premises. The following is an example 

 of a reply sent to an inquirer in Lock Haven: 



^'Eeplying to your recent letter concerning the erection of Martin 

 Houses, I beg to say that the best way to induce the martins to 

 nest around the premises is to erect houses suitable to their needs, 

 and really I believe it is about the only means. These birds have no 

 evil habits. They will not eat your bees, neither will they molest nor 

 drive away your other birds. While they are wholly insectivorous, 

 yet I have never known of a case of their being destructive to the 

 honey bee. They are very interesting birds, and are worthy of your 

 efforts for the propagation. 



"If you wish further information on the subject, it would be well 

 to write to Mr. Warren Jacobs, Waynesburg, Pa., enclosing forty 

 cents for his booklet on Martin Houses, and Methods of Attracting 

 Martins to the Premises. He has propagated them by the hundreds, 

 and is very practical in his suggestions. I also shall be glad to aid 

 you all that is possible." 



In beginning this report we said that "with but one exception" th6 

 year has not been characterized by any remarkable feature of Orni- 

 thology in Pennsylvania. This exception, which becomes quite note- 

 worthy because it is so remarkable, is the starvation of young insect i 

 vorous birds during the spring and early summer because the weath- 

 er was so cold and wet that their parents could not find enough food 

 for them. This is well expressed by a valued correspondent. Kev. J. 

 K. Heckman, of Johnstown, Pa., who, under date of July 2nd. wrote: 

 "The long, wet weather, with temperature much below the average, 

 that has continued well up into June, has caused extraordinary 

 happening, viz., the swallows were here about as in niier years, but T 

 have seen but one solitary swallow from the end r f the cool weather 

 up to the present time. It is thought that the u^' favorable weather, 

 probably, was a cause of the shortage of their food supply, which 

 either caused them to starve or leave." 



THE ENGLISH SrARROAV 



The English sparrow continues to be our greatest bird nuisance. 

 Mr. Ira K. Foulk, of Schuyler, Northumberland county, wrote as 

 follows : 



"Is there any method of ridding our farm buildings and surround- 

 ings of the sparrows? 



"Sparrows are very annoying to us. They harbor about the build- 

 ings in a large flock, and in the spring drive all other birds away from 

 here, such as bluebirds, wrens, etc. 



"Thanking you in advance for an exterminating medium, if there 

 is any, I am, 



"Eespectfullv, 



"I. e.'f." 



To this I replied as follows: 



"Keplying to your letter making inquiry for a method of ridding 

 your premises of sparrows, I must say that I recognize the objection- 

 able feature of these birds, and agree with you that it would be well to 

 suppress or destroy them. The U. S. Department of Agriculture has 

 issued a bulletin on this subject which can be had free by writing to 

 Washington, D. C, for it. 



