THE ENGLISH SPARROW QUESTION U6 
a large pan, one that will just slide into my wife’s 
kitchen range, keep the grain hot and stir it frequently 
until it is thoroughly dried. The grain must not be 
scorched in the least, as then the birds, especially the 
old ones, will not eat it. When the grain is thoroughly 
dried, it takes a better expert than even an English 
sparrow to discover any change in its appearance. If 
an exceeding deadly grain is wanted another dram of 
the poison can be used, but the above will be found 
effective. It needs but one grain of this wheat to kill 
a sparrow in three minutes as I have timed the experi- 
ment, and the grain gets no farther than the crop, 
sometimes not so far. I scatter the grain sparingly 
near the roosting places of the birds and in localities 
where they are accustomed to feed. Snowy, cold 
weather, when there is little bare ground, is the best 
time. The baited places should be visited daily, if 
possible, and the dead birds should be removed. You 
will be surprised at the killings you will make. By 
persistent effort, you can enormously reduce their 
numbers, and that is worth working for.” ! 
5. If you cannot drive the sparrows away or will not 
poison them, you may compromise with them by offer- 
ing nesting boxes in places attractive to them, and take 
the eggs out of them as the sets are laid. In that way 
they can be kept from multiplying. The boxes may 
be made with a sliding or opening cover and may be 
placed where they are accessible from attic or second 
1 Compare ‘‘ The So-called Sparrow War in Boston.’ Bird-Lore, 
August, 1899, page 187. 
