igg^^] General Notes. 477 



A Tame Field Sparrow. — An unusual experience with a Field Sparrow 

 (Spizella pusilla), had while in camp near Paul Smith's, N. Y., this spring, 

 seems worthy of note. I will transcribe from my note-book the account 

 of it made at the time. 



"May 3, 1908. — Last night and early this morning there was a heavy 

 fall of snow, covering the ground to a depth of 8 to 10 inches. The birds* 

 had a hard time of it and a number of Juncos and Chipping Sparrows took 

 refuge in our tents during the night. In the morning there were fifteen 

 or twenty birds — Juncos, Vesper, Chipping, and tw| Field Sparrows — 

 searching for food about the tents, so, about ten o'clock, I scattered bread 

 crumbs and some grass seed which we happened to have in camp. While 

 doing this one of the Field Sparrows, a female, hopped right up to me, 

 paying no heed to my presence or movements, hopped on to my feet when 

 I stood still, allowed me to walk rapidly up to her, kneel down and stroke 

 her with my hand, in fact permitted me to handle her quite roughly without 

 showing the slightest sign of timidity. Once I pushed her away from the 

 seed, but she would not go and instead actually forced her head under my 

 fingers, raising them up in order to reach the seed beneath them. Another 

 time she squeezed herself in between my knees while I was kneeling on the 

 ground, and fed on some seed beneath me. The presence of other people 

 did not frighten her, for four of my men came up to watch me and she 

 permitted them also to touch her — all the time feeding as busily as she 

 could. 



"Her fearlessness was probably not due to hunger alone, for after having 

 eaten all she wanted, she perched herself on a heap of straw under a tent- 

 fly close by, tucked her head under her wing and went to sleep. Ten 

 or fifteen minutes later I woke her up, whereupon, after preening herself 

 for a minute or two, she flew over to me and resumed feeding from my hand. 

 Swift and sudden movements on my part, such as casting seed, would not 

 frighten her in the least, even though my hand might pass within a few 

 inches of her. Several times pieces of bread or seed would strike her quite 

 forcibly, but even that would not disturb her. The other birds were all 

 comparatively shy, the other Field Sparrow, a male, particularly so, 

 though a few would allow me to approach within eight of ten feet of them. 

 The grass seed was invariably taken in preference to the bread crumbs." — 

 E. Seymour Woodruff, State Forester, Albany, N. Y. 



Destruction of English Sparrows. — Many unsuccessful attempts have 

 been made to reduce the numbers of these pests. Fire-arms cannot be 

 used within the city limits, the bounty law proved a failure and the free 

 use of poisoned grain, except in certain isolated sections, would include 

 too many of our native species. The balance of nature's forces, however, 

 sometimes weighs a little in our favor, though vmfortunately such occur- 

 rences are too few and far between. 



At 8:40 p. M. August 11, 1908, Chicago and vicinity were visited by a 



