522 ANP^AL REPORT OF THifi Off. Doc. 



suffers aiiy loss, and here the damage is small. In fact, the examina- 

 tions of nearly three hundred stomachs shows that the Blue Jay cer- 

 tainly does far more good than harm." 



In view of the above authoritative statements expressing views 

 which are emphatically endorsed by the writer of this rei)ort, is it now 

 time that the intelligent citizens and law-makers of Pennsylvania 

 get busy to bring about legislation to protect instead of destroy the 

 bird, which is at once so useful and so beauiful. 



ENGLISH SPARROW 



The English Sparrow (see Fig. 2) is multiplying with remarkable 

 rapidity, due chieily to the indifference of mankind. On almost 

 every point, it has proven itself a veritable nuisance. Not only does 

 it feed upon grains of field crops, and upon garden plants of many 

 kinds, but it is objectionable because of its filthy effects in soiling 

 property that might otherwise be clean or presentable. Also, it is 

 certainly the chief aid in carrying the San Jose scale from place to 

 place, and in the poultry yard its presence results in considerable 

 loss through devouring the food intended for poultry. 



We believe that the English Sparrow nuisance would be greatly 

 reduced if it were made illegal to let this bird nest upon the premises. 

 It is not difficult to modify its nesting site, so that it will be unable 

 to find a footing upon the cornices of buildings and in other places 

 where its litter is heaped into an uncouth mass and used as a nest. 

 Where it starts to build a nest in an accessible place, it is well to 

 permit it to do so, and wait until after the nest is finished and the 

 eggs are laid and hatched before destroying it. In fact, if the young 

 birds be left in the nest until they are almost ready to leave it natur- 

 ally, this will lengthen the period until the production of the next 

 brood and result in fewer birds per year than though this nest were 

 destroyed as soon as discovered, or by the time its eggs were laid. To 

 do this, some persons are now placing for the sparrows nesting boxes 

 provided with lids which permit the removal of the young or eggs. In 

 removing nesting material it should be burned rather than merely 

 thrown upon the ground and left for Sparrows to carry away in 

 the formation of new nests. 



EUROPEAN STARLING 



The European Starling (see Fig. 3) is a comparatively newly in- 

 troduced bird in America, which multiplies rapidly, and to which your 

 Ornithologist has called attention in previous reports. In appear- 

 ance it is very much like the Blackbird, or female Cowbird, and in 

 habits may be said to be intermediate between our ordinary Blackbird 

 and the English Sparrow. During the recent cold weather the Starl- 

 ing was seen in large flocks in the eastern part of the State. It is 

 supposed that they came from the region between New York City 

 and Philadelphia, where they have recently been multiplying. It is 

 our opinion that the Starling is a good seed-eater, which will prove 

 to be as objectionable as the English Sparrow, and it should, there- 

 fore, be known and destroyed. It lives and feeds mostly in open 

 fields, and can be recognized by its single short whistle or note. 



