stav wherever found. There is no instance in ornithology where any other bird 

 has muhiplied so rapidly or covered such an extensive area in so short a time. 

 This is not altogether surprising when it is remembered how much it has been 

 assisted until recently, by persons unfamiliar with or indifferent to its character 

 and habits. 



Not only has it been transported intentionally from place to place, but has 

 been pampered until the mistake was made too manifest to be longer ignored. 

 The number of eggs in a set varies from four to seven, and one pair of birds 

 usually raises four, sometimes five, and even six broods, according to some 

 observers, in a year. It takes very little computation to determine what the results 

 of this extraordinary fecundity would presumably be in a single decade. As it 

 always prefers cities, towns, or villages — in fact, does not go to the country ex- 

 cept at harvest times, until it is crowded out by overpopulation following its rapid 

 propagation — it is further protected, by this choice of habitation, against the 

 dangers and hardships by which the increase of many other birds is restricted. As 

 a rule excessive reproduction of a species in the animal kingdom, with its conse- 

 quent overcrowding, results in disease (epidemics or parasites) which prevent its 

 unlimited multiplication. This is not the case with the house sparrow ; it is one 

 of the most vigorous of birds, notwithstanding its numerous progeny. It adapts 

 itself wonderfully to diverse conditions, being able to endure the prolonged heat 

 of tropical summer as well as to survive the protracted cold of a Canadian winter. 



In view of the reputation and record of this bird wherever found, and the 

 repeated warnings given to those who were about to import it, the continued 

 interest in it and persistent effort to secure and succor it has been, indeed, difficult 

 to understand, unless in the belief that it was done with the mistaken idea that it 

 would destroy insect pests,-particuularly canker worms, in the parks of cities, and 

 where it was originally introduced. This error was pointed out at the time, but 

 was ignored ; in fact, such a sparrow "boom" existed at one period in this 

 country that parties so infatuated found it cheaper to import direct from Europe 

 than from New York and other places at home. There were two classes who al- 

 ways seemed anxious to have the house sparrow in this country. One was the 

 European part of our population, who, remembering the surroundings of the 

 "homes they had left, longed for its familiar chirp and suggestive cheerfulness ; 

 the other was that class of people who thought they were getting an insectivore, 

 although they were informed by competent authority to the contrary. Now, there 

 is an insectivorous bird called and known in England as the hedge sparrow, but 

 which is no sparrow at all. It is the Accetor modularis, belonging to an entirely 

 ■diiiferent family (Sylznidw) . the old-world warblers, is related to the thrushes, 

 and. like all of its family, feeds on insects almost entirely, while the sparrow 

 family proper are mainly granivorous, except in the spring and summer when rais- 

 ing their young, that they feed on insects and other soft food. It is reasonable 

 to suppose that the importer of the house sparrow confused it in his mind with 

 the hedge sparrow. 



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