72 METHODS OF ATTRACTING BIRDS 



lifted, and he has tried removing both nest and 

 eggs ; but this plan has not proved successful, as 

 the sparrows would begin building again the same 

 day. Several observers have reported that if the 

 nest is left undisturbed but the eggs alone re- 

 moved, the sparrows become discouraged after a 

 while and desert the box. The following is taken 

 from Weed and Dearborn's " Birds in Their Re- 

 lation to Man " : 



Mrs. Mary Treat has recorded an ingenious 

 experiment in discouraging the English sparrow 

 on her premises. " A few years ago," she writes, 

 " they were here in great numbers, driving blue- 

 birds and wrens and martins from their boxes. 

 At last I had boxes made on purpose for the 

 plagues, with a hinged cover, and allowed each 

 occupant to lay the requisite number of eggs, usu- 

 ally six, and commence to incubate, when I would 

 destroy the eggs without disturbing the nest. At 

 first the little simpletons, after making great ado, 

 would in a few days thereafter again lay eggs in 

 the same boxes. Sometimes over thirty eggs were 

 laid in one box. But even the English sparrow 

 finally learns prudence. Each year they appeared 

 in diminished numbers, and last year only one 

 pair attempted to preempt a box and they left 

 after the first setting of eggs were destroyed, 

 and the bluebirds and wrens had peace." 



