214 



Bird -Lore 



Robin, but he would only move a short dis- 

 tance off and go on peacefully "grubbing." 



The Sparrows' main food is so different 

 from the worms the Robins eat that there is 

 no reason why they should be enemies. A 

 friend feeds the birds daily from her window, 

 and both the Robins and Sparrows feed 

 together on her roof. As to the farmers' 

 objections, I find the Robins are the thieves 

 of their cherries and strawberries; but, after 

 all, we have plenty of our garden fruits to 

 spare the birds their gleanings. 



Instead of seeing fewer song-birds, for the 

 last two summers, there have been more. 



m;t'--. 





The Robins have returned each spring very 

 fat and tame. 



There are many trees and gardens where I 

 am now living in Germantown, Philadelphia, 

 and this summer before leaving, there were 

 many beautiful birds settled for their summer 

 abode in the trees around. The Sparrows, too, 

 were many, but they settled their families in 

 the vines around the house, or back of the 

 shutters, which were not often closed. The 

 Sparrows gleaned much of their food from 

 the streets, while the Robins, Blackbirds and 

 many others fed in the gardens or lawns 

 around. 



I plead for the Sparrows who stay with us 

 all winter, through cold and ice. They are 

 always cheery and so grateful if you cast 

 them even a crumb which falls from your 

 table. So trustful and sure you will not forget 

 them, while they wait patiently in the cold, 

 huddled together, until you have eaten your 

 warm breakfast, only softly chirping their 



knock at your front or kitchen door. — M. 

 Eloise Ri,'MXEV, Germanlo-iim, Philadelphia, 

 Pa. 



English Sparrow Notes 



In the May- June, 1905, number of Bird- 

 Lore (page 176), is a very interesting note 

 "The English Sparrow as an Evictor," in 

 which your correspondent intimates he 

 would like to hear from the readers "who 

 have really discouraged these pests," and 

 experiences in the use of firearms for their 

 extermination, ''as to whether or not the 

 shooting scared away any other birds." 



In the spring of 1902, a pair of Bluebirds, 

 after thorough inspection, began carrying 

 building material to one of the apartments in 

 the bird-house which is fastened to the top of 

 the horse barn, to be immediately set upon, of 

 course, by a pair of English Sparrows, and 

 ousted after an unequal fight. Thereupon the 

 lordly cock Sparrow settled himself before the 

 disputed door and began his impudent yelp- 

 ing, to the evident chagrin of the crestfallen 

 Bluebirds and the raising of my ire, for seiz- 

 ing my brother's 22-calibre Winchester 

 repeater, I carefully concealed myself, fully 

 determined to teach that Sparrow a lesson if 

 possible, to give him one good scare at least. 

 A few flying feathers was the only tangible 

 result of the light report of the rifle, plus the 

 sudden ceasing of the yelps. Returning the 

 rifle to its accustomed place, I brought out 

 the glasses and discovered the body of the 

 braggart on the shelf where he had stood and 

 fallen. 



With considerable wonder as to whether or 

 not the Bluebirds would take offense at the 

 use of a gun in ther nearby presence, I kept 

 a keen lookout and was soon gratified to see 

 the pair working their way slowly back to 

 their rightful possessions, — alighting on the 

 barn, on the weather-vane of the bird-house, 

 and all the time warbling to each other in 

 their soft, pretty voices. Finally the male 

 became bolder and flew down to the shelf on 

 which lay his dead enemy, eyeing the body 

 askance, hopped nearer, and finally shoved 

 the body over the edge where it fell to the 

 ground below and I picked it up, still warm. 



Then the Bluebirds engaged in such a 

 hallelujah as I never witnessed before and 



