6 IS THE SPARROW DESTRUCTIVE? 



vague for the purpose ; indeed, in such a matter it is 

 exceedingly difficult to be precise. In some instances, 

 and especially near towns, extraordinary estimates 

 have been formed of the damage by the most com- 

 petent valuers, but as these valuers were not Ornitho- 

 logists, it is not clear that some of the damage was not 

 done by greenfinches and chaffinches. I have seen 

 large flocks in the fields in November, which I at first 

 thought were sparrows, but which proved on closer in- 

 spection to be entirely composed of the species just 

 named. 



The following true story was related to me by Colonel 

 Russell : — A farmer at Boreham, near Chelmsford, 

 named Hurrell, had an early field of wheat not far 

 from the village. The sparrows attacked it in the 

 corner nearest the village and devoured a great deal 

 there : the crop was uniform, except from what the 

 sparrows did. Hurrell measured an acre where the 

 sparrows had been at work, and an adjoining acre 

 which they had not meddled with, and thrashed the 

 corn on each of the acres separately, looking after the 

 threshing himself. He found the deficiency to be 2 

 quarters (16 bushels) ; value at the time £6. 



