JOURNAI, OF MAINK ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 85 



the city streets, feeding on filth and loving to bathe in the dry road- 

 side dust. At the approach of anything to scare them, up go the 

 entire flock on to the window ledges of adjoining houses or on to the 

 roof, and there they shake out the germ-laden dust which sifts in 

 through the open windows of our dwellings. One has only to 

 watch the Sparrows a little while to see this round from street to 

 house and from house to street repeated many times, and each time 

 a cargo of death potential bacteria are disseminated through the air 

 to be breathed in by passers-by or to be sifted into our houses. 



Many kinds of disease-producing bacteria are very common in 

 the dust of our city streets. A careless passer-by, inflicted with 

 consumption, spits, and later on a Sparrow aids in the dissemination 

 of these germs. I firmly believe that mau}^ cases of tuberculosis are 

 due to the dissemination of the germs by the English Sparrow. 



Bacteria capable of producing such diseases as lockjaw, influ- 

 enza, typhoid fever, scarlet fever, blood poisoning, diphtheria and 

 many other troubles may be found in the dust of the streets under 

 suitable conditions. These bacteria aw^ait only suitable means of 

 conveyance to reach some person in which to set up their growth 

 and cause sickness. Such means of conveyance are found in the 

 winds, the house flies, and last, but by no means least, the English 

 Sparrows. I would therefore urge upon all local boards of health a 

 careful consideration of means by which to join in the work of exter- 

 mination of the English Sparrows. 



Ora W. Knight. 

 Bangor, August i, 1908. 



Birds of Maine. — If "Birds of Maine" has not already been 

 sent to all subscribers before this number of the Journal is issued, 

 it probably will be very shortly received by them. The book is 

 now, at this writing (August 3), ready to go to the binder, and as 

 soon as received from the binder will be sent out. 



Ora W. Knight. 



Sandpiper in a Tree. — It was on the 4th of August, 190), 

 while in company with Mr. James Chapin and Mr. W. DeWitt 



