36 . ANIMAL COMPETITORS 



be followed by long intervals of indifference 

 and inaction. This may be prevented by offer- 

 ing prizes covering a definite period of effort. 

 Such prizes accomplish more than municipal 

 bounties, because they secure a friendly rivalry 

 which stimulates the contestants to do their 

 utmost to win. 



In England and some of its colonies contests 

 for prizes have been organized to promote the 

 destruction of the European house-sparrow, but 

 many of the so-called *' sparrow clubs" are 

 really sparrow and rat clubs, for the destruc- 

 tion of both pests are avowed objects of the or- 

 ganization. A sparrow club in Kent, England, 

 secured the destruction of 28,000 sparrows and 

 16,000 rats in three seasons, by the annual ex- 

 penditure of but $29.20 in prize money. Had 

 ordinary bounties been paid for this destruc- 

 tion, the tax on the community would have been 

 about $1,200. 



