Bird Notes and News 



55 



Economic Ornithology. 



THE FOOD OF THE HOUSE- 

 SPARROW. 



In the October, 1914, issue of the Journal 

 of the Board of Agriculture, Mr. Walter 

 E. Collinge, M.Sc, has a paper entitled 

 " Some Observations on the Food of 

 Nestling Sparrows," in which he records 

 work carried out in 1913 and 1914. In 

 this period Mr. Colhnge examined the 

 stomach contents of over 280 nestlings, 

 200 of which were obtained from fruit- 

 growing districts, and 87 from suburban 

 districts. The results he considers " so 

 interesting and so important from the 

 standpoint of the fruit-grower " that he 

 tabulates in detail the numbers examined, 

 dates, and material found. 



The summary of these results is given 

 as follows : — 



It may reasonably be computed, Mr. 

 Collinge considers, that these figures 

 might be doubled, as the food found would 

 probably not represent more than half 

 that consumed by the birds in the whole 

 of the day. Moreover, he adds : "It 

 may be said that during the whole of 

 the nesting period the parent birds are 



feeding upon food similar to that fed 

 to the young." 



A careful examination of the Summary, 

 Mr. Collinge continues, brings to light 

 some interesting facts, which may be 

 summarised as follows : — 



1. In a single day one hundred nestling 

 House-Sparrows require nearly 2,000 in- 

 sects for food in fruit-growing districts, 

 and about a third of that quantity in 

 suburban districts. 



2. Excepting for the few spiders and 

 earthworms, the whole of the food consists 

 of injurious insects. 



" In spite of all that has been written 

 with reference to the depredations of the 

 House-Sparrow, we do not yet possess that 

 completeness of knowledge that justifies 

 us in condemning it as an ' avian rat,' or a 

 bird that should be exterminated. That 

 it is far too plentiful no one doubts, but 

 seeing that practically all modern houses 

 provide numerous and safe nesting places 

 for it this is scarcely surprising. 



"It is extremely difficult to arrive at any 

 satisfactory and convincing conclusion as to 

 the precise economic status of this species, 

 but after carefully considering the results 

 obtained from an examination of the stomach 

 contents of 404 adult birds, and of 42 and 

 287 nestling birds, and also from an examina- 

 tion of the faeces, the writer is of opinion 

 that if this species were considerably reduced 

 in numbers, the good that it would do would 

 probably more than compensate for the 

 harm, especially in fruit-growing districts. 



" In carrying out the investigation here 

 recorded, it has been very forcibly suggested 

 that before any reliable conclusions can be 

 formed respecting the economic status of 

 any species of wild bird, something more 

 must be secured than the mere details of 

 the stomach contents of adult birds, from 

 various districts, during each month of the 

 year, important and necessary as these 

 undoubtedly are. Any investigation on 

 he economic status of most species of wild 



