92 THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



tify, but their evidence must be ruled out, owing to 

 incompetency on the ground of ignorance and national 

 prejudice. 



John Strouse, of Chestnut Hill (a suburb of Philadel- 

 phia), can testify to the truth of the foregoing assertions. 

 In a conversation with the writer upon the sparrow's 

 usefulness, he says : — 



" The chipping sparrow, bluebird, house wren, and 

 great crested flycatcher, were in past years common 

 denizens of m}^ yard and kitchen-garden, and were ac- 

 customed to build therein ; but now the detestable 

 sparrows have usurped their places. The unprovoked 

 hostilities, which the latter have waged against their 

 unoffending brethren, have induced me to make war 

 upon them. I have generously given our birds that 

 encouragement and protection which a purblind muni- 

 cipality has denied. In the spring, when my grape- 

 vines are in blossom, they are attacked, and scarcely 

 a blossom is left to mature into fruit. Even the 

 latter requires the closest vigilance to prevent its de- 

 struction. In other places I have witnessed similar 

 depredations, not only upon the vines, but also upon the 

 blossoms and ripened fruit of the cherry, and the produce 

 of the strawberry and raspberry. In harvest time im- 

 mense flocks settle down upon the prostrate grain and 

 destroy immense quantities of this staple article of food." 



William E. Meehan, Esq., of this place, admits that 

 they accomplish a vast amount of damage, and also that 

 it is not solely in quest of insects that they are attracted 

 to the blossoms, but for the sake of the tender ovaries 

 and ripened anthers. He says, " I have seen them 

 attack the pear-tree within my father's nurseries, and 

 scatter the blossoms in every direction. Even in the 



