1 96 THE SPARROW-HAWK 



which are not to be used for salad, or forage, or cooking, by spraying 

 seedlings when springing and above ground, also newly-set plants, 

 with Paris green, J oz. in paste form (Blundell's being the best make) 

 and 2 oz. of quicklime slaked and formed into a milk with water 

 and straining through a fine mesh sieve (to free it from undissolved 

 particles likely to clog the spray -nozzle) into the vessel containing 

 the Paris green paste diluted with a similar quantity of water as 

 used for the " milk " of lime, stirring and adding I Ib. of treacle 

 dissolved in a gallon of water, then diluting to 12 gallons for use. If 

 applied by a syringe with a spraying nozzle, an assistant should stir 

 the mixture while the spraying proceeds, and for applying by a 

 knapsack machine the mixture should be well stirred before charg- 

 ing it ; then the action of the person and pump will keep the Paris 

 green in suspension, this being all-important for an equal distribu- 

 tion of the poison on the foliage in the finest possible films. If the 

 mixture is made much stronger damage to the crop ensues. The 

 treatment answers equally well against house sparrows attacking 

 pea-plants when springing from the soil, also other vegetable crops ; 

 but the mixture must not be used on any plant that in the parts 

 treated will be wanted for salads, cooking or forage for at least a 

 month after treatment. 



DESTRUCTIVE TO GAME, POULTRY AND PIGEONS 



SPARROW-HAWK. No bird has a worse character among game- 

 keepers, poultry-breeders, and pigeon fanciers than this, for it 

 takes young partridges, pheasants, hares and rabbits, chickens and 

 pigeons, and is inconsistent with the game, poultry, and pigeon 

 industries. 



However, the forester, farmer (apart from poultry and pigeons), 

 and gardener see no bird with higher qualities for killing mice 

 and voles and insects, such as the cranefly, small birds, especially 

 chaffinches, green linnets, blackbirds, thrushes, and wood-pigeons, 

 and in these respects is invaluable, as, according to W. Swaysland, 

 a sparrow-hawk destroys on an average three birds per day, and 

 this gives a total of over 2,000 birds annually for every pair of 

 sparrow-hawks. But what of the titmice, wrens, and other more 

 or less insectivorous and weed-seed destroying birds ! Surely in 

 this respect the sparrow-hawk is injurious ! Though called sparrow- 

 hawk, how many sparrows does it destroy, and to what extent is 

 its presence beneficial in scaring birds off ripening corn ? 



The sparrow-hawk, all points considered, has no place in cultural 

 utility, and in the interests of the game-preserver and poultry- 

 farmer, also pigeon-breeder, must be kept within bounds if these 

 highly desirable pursuits are to be followed successfully in the be t 

 interests of the nation, alike from the standpoints of pleasure and 

 of food. 



Though the sparrow-hawk is most destructive during winged- 



