1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 47 



it is true that the English sparrow deserves the good-will of 

 no one, and is a bird that should be destroyed, it is unwise 

 for any one State to offer a premium for his worthless head. 

 I have no doubt that, if the citizens of Massachusetts allow 

 a bounty act to be passed for the destruction of the sparrow, 

 and persons not familiar with birds are authorized to receive 

 the sparrows slain by hunters, you will find that probably 

 not less than one hundred species of the small wild birds 

 will be killed, because the average sparrow hunter will, 

 doubtless, be unable to distinguish the English sparrow from 

 other kinds of birds which are quite similar in their general 

 appearance. With a few exceptions, every member of the 

 sparrow family ( Fringillidai) occurring in this State would 

 most likely be captured ; many species of warblers and cer- 

 tain swallows, — birds* which feed almost exclusively on 

 insects, and are of great service to the farmer and fruit 

 grower, — the smaller woodpeckers and fly-catchers, orioles, 

 tanagers, thrushes, wrens, and perhaps many of the smaller 

 kinds of water birds, would be slaughtered and offered for 

 bounty. 



The time-piece on the wall indicates that my hour is gone. 

 In conclusion I would say that, if any one of my apprecia- 

 tive audience desires to fully inform himself with regard to 

 the English sparrow -and its relations to agriculture, he 

 should obtain a copy of Bulletin No. 1 of the United States 

 department of agriculture, entitled " The P^nglish Sparrow 

 in North America." This public document, prepared under 

 the direction of the ornithologist, Dr. C. H. Merriam, by 

 Prof. Walter Barrows, assistant ornithologist, is beyond 

 doubt the finest publication on this subject that has ever 

 been issued. 



Allow me, ladies and gentlemen of the Massachusetts State 

 Board of Agriculture, to thank you most cordially for the 

 attentive manner in which you have listened to my remarks. 



Mr. Ware. I would be glad if the doctor would settle 

 one question. It is a question among many farmers whether 

 the common crow is a friend or an enemy of the farmer. 



* A few species of warblers and the tree swallow occasionally eat different kinds 

 of small wild berries. 



