insane step by ignorance and prejudice, succeeded in getting the sparrow (passer 

 doincsticiis ) doomed to destruction, ^\■ithin live years the country was overrun 

 with insects, and these same men were cn,'ing for the bird to Ije given back to them 

 lest the)- should perish. The sparrow was brought back and, dri\ing out the hordes 

 of devastating insects, proved the salvation of the countr}'." 



Our own Edward Howe Forbush, Massachusetts State Ornithologist, wrote 

 us some time ago, in reply to our question about the sparrow, as follows : 



"If we were rid of the sparrows and had our native birds back, no doubt we 

 could attract them into our cities and they would protect the trees, but if now we 

 should destroy the sparrows I suppose that other insects would increase, particu- 

 larly the geometrid caterpillars, which the sparrow was imported to destroy. 



"Personally, I should deprecate very much any widespread effort to destroy 

 the English sparrow, for 1 think that the bird is now fastened upon us and 

 extermination is impossible. .\ny popular attempt to destroy the sparrows will 

 result in the destruction of other birds more useful than the sparrow. I should 

 not object, however, to the sparrows being destroyed by trustworthy, reliable 

 citizens in any case where it might seem necessary for the public welfare to have 

 this done." 



There is no doubt, in our judgment, from personal observation and conversa- 

 tion with careful observers, that the English sparrow in America is changing his 

 habits and becoming more and more an insecti\orous bird. We have watched him 

 destroying the brown-tail and gipsy moths, climbing about fruit-trees searching 

 for insects. This very summer with a flock of over fifty sparrows living about 

 our place, everv one of a number (jf bird-houses on the premises has been occu- 

 pied bv bluebirds and house wrens, and in the trees more robins and \-ireas, and 

 in the garden more chipping-sparrows ha\e nested than during the past six years. 

 Eor twenty years we have observed the sparrow with more than usual care. \\ e 

 have never seen him attack a bird of another s])ecies. That he is often a nuisance, 

 building his nests o\er windows and in shutters, even his best friend would not 

 deny. In this, however, he is not a worse sinner than the pigeon. Never were the 

 sparrows more numerous in New Zealand, says Buckland. never were the com- 

 plaints more bitter against them, and yet never were the har\ests so abundant. 

 He concludes, "The good the sparrow does must far outweigh the e\il." 



We have written thus at length, not because we regard ourselves competent 

 to prove or disprove such a statement as is made in the last sentence just quoted 

 from Buckland, but to call public attention to the fact, first, that this attempt to en- 

 list the youth of the land in a crusade of killing is deserving of a loud protest from 

 all lovers of child-welfare, for the child's sake ; and second, that apparently the 

 e\idence is not yet all in with regard to the sparrow, and, that before constituting 

 ourselves complainant, lawyer, judge, jury and executioner, we make quite sure 

 the accused is guilty of all the crimes charged against him and is worthy of death. 



.559 



