THE SPARROW'S USEFULNESS IN AMERICA. 79 



of various kinds. The robins were more numerous on 

 the Common last summer than ever before. The little 

 chip-sparrow has become very numerous, and seems to 

 be very fond of the sparrow, often feeding on the same 

 bit of bread. The small martins have very greatly 

 increased in numbers on account of the number of boxes. 

 These they take possession of whenever they want 

 one, and drive the sparrows away. Before the sparrows 

 came there were no bluebirds at all. Now they are 

 becoming quite common, and often treat the sparrows 

 very badly, taking away from them their boxes and 

 breaking up their nests. The sparrows, of course, show 

 fight, but the bluebirds are always too strong for them." 



"I am all in favor of the sparrows. I believe that 

 they do no harm, but a great deal of good. Thousands 

 of dollars would not pay the city for their loss, and I 

 would be very sorry to see anything done to prejudice 

 people against them or permit their destruction." 



Again, the same writer, in clear and unmistakable 

 language, says, "Their introduction into Boston was 

 immediately attended with great benefit, almost beyond 

 calculation. The trees' on the Common were infested 

 with a nasty yellow caterpillar, which destroyed the 

 leaves and buds of the elms and other trees ; and these 

 insects increased very rapidly in spite of all that my 

 men could do to destroy them, and, at the south end, 

 the elm trees were eaten every June by swarms of 

 canker-worms. Both of these pests have been pretty 

 nearly exterminated," etc. 



Negativing the assertions of Messrs. Brewer and Gal- 

 vin, we have the unequivocal statements of H. D. Minot, 

 Esq., of Cambridge, Mass. This gentleman, who is 

 distinguished alike for the scope and accuracy of his 



