149 

 THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 





By J. Ballantyne. 



(Bead February 2lst, 1890.) 



You are all aware that it is but a short time since the bird known 

 by the name of '-The English Sparrow" was introduced into North 

 America, vet, notwithstanding this fact, it has increased in numbers so 

 fast that it has now spread over nearly a third of the whole continent 

 and is extending its area at the rate of about 275,000 square miles annu- 

 ally. Io is highly probable that there are more of these sparrows at the 

 present time in North America than of any single species of native bird. 

 The presence of so many of them has become a question of such econo- 

 mic importance that the Uniced States Department of Agriculture has 

 issued a bulletin containing upwards ot 400 closely printed pages 

 relating wholly to the English Sparrow in North America, especially in 

 its relation to agriculture. Attention to this bulletin has already been 

 called in the last number of the Ottawa Naturalist. It deals with 

 the whole question in a most exhaustive manner, entering fully into 

 details concerning its introduction and diffusion, rate of increase and 

 checks on the same. It also gives the replies from hundreds of 

 observers from all parts of the country relating to the good and bad 

 effects of sparrows on vegetation. Subsequently it points out the 

 relation of sparrows to native birds, showing clearly that many of our 

 insect-eating birds have been completely routed by the invaders. The 

 conclusions arrived at by an overwhelming majority of observers 

 are, that sparrows are more or less injurious to nearly all growing 

 crops, including all our common fruits as well as grain and vegetables, 

 and what little good they do would have been better done by our 

 native birds had they not been driven away. The bulletin also gives 

 an account of various methods which have been tried, in different 

 loca'ities, to destroy the sparrows, such as poisoning, trapping, shoot, 

 ing, etc. The methods most approved are pulling down their nests 

 when this can be done, and persistent shooting. They become so wary 

 that it is difficult to either trap or poison them. 



Perhaps it may not be generally known that a great many colonies 



