THE FOOD OF YOUNG SPARROWS. g 



was so, would not they speedily become much mora 

 addicted to corn ? I think there is not a doubt about it. 



SPARROWS KEEP DOWN WEEDS. 



Sparrows do much good to the farmer, in conjunc- 

 tion with many other little birds, by consuming vast 

 numbers of the seeds of weeds. I think not nearly 

 enough has been made of this by their friends and 

 supporters. The following is a list of those which 

 have been actually identified, with my authority for each : 



Wild sumach {C/ienpodmm bomcs-heiiricus), Mr. A. Willis.* 

 Knot grass {Polygonum aviadare), Mr. F. A. Lees-t 

 Black or corn bindweed {P. convolvulus), Mr. F. A. Lees. 

 Dandelion {Taraxacum officinale). , 

 Goosefoot {CJunopodium albuni), Mr. F. A. Lees. 

 Field mustard {Sinapis arvensis\ Professor Macgillivray.| 

 Chickweed {Stellaria media), Colonel Russell. § 

 Mouse Ear {Cerastium triviale\ Professor Macgillivray. 

 Wild radish {Raphanus rapJianistrum), Professor Mac- 

 gillivray. 

 Dock {Rumex crispus)^ Mr. F. A. Lees. 

 Pale-flowered persicaria (^Polygonum lapathifolium), Mr. 



F. A. Lees. 

 Buttercup, Mr. H. N. Slater. 



These seeds will spread from a hedge, the sides of 

 which are not brushed with a reaping-hook in the 

 summer, and make a field very foul; so that everyone 

 must admit that sparrows and small birds generally 

 do some amount of good by keeping them down. A 



* Inlitt. t^r'^it' 



X ' British Birds,' i,, p. 344- 8 '''' ^"^' 



