634 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



516 stomachs, and probably it is only 

 under exceptional circumstances that it 

 does any damage in this way. Evidently 

 neither the farmer nor the fruit grower 

 has much to fear from the white-crowned 

 sparrow. The little fruit it eats is mostly 

 ■wild, and the grain eaten is waste or vol- 

 unteer. 



English Sparrovr 



Passer domesticus 



Length, about six and one-fourth 

 inches. Its incessant chattering, quarrel- 

 some disposition, and abundance and fa- 

 miliarity about human habitations dis- 

 tinguish it from our native sparrows. 



Kange 



Resident throughout the United States 

 and Southern Canada. 



Habits and Economic Status 



Almost universally condemned since 

 its introduction into the United States, 

 the English sparrow has not only held 

 its own, but has ever increased in num- 

 bers and extended its range in spite of 

 all opposition. Its habit of driving out or 

 even killing more beneficial species and 

 the defiling of buildings by its droppings 

 and by its own unsightly structures, are 

 serious objections to this sparrow. More- 

 over, in rural districts, it is destructive 

 to grain, fruit, peas, beans and other 

 vegetables. On the other hand, the bird 

 feeds to some extent on a large number 

 of insect pests, and this fact points to 

 the need of a new investigation of the 

 present economic status of the species, 

 especially as it promises to be of service 

 in holding in check the newly introduced 

 alfalfa weevil, which threatens the alfalfa 

 industry in Utah and neighboring states. 

 In cities most of the food of the English 

 sparrow is waste material secured from 

 the streets. 



CroTV Blackbird 

 Quiscalus guiscula 



Length, 12 inches. Shorter by at least 

 three inches than the other grackles with 

 trough-shaped tails. Black, with purplish, 

 bluish and bronze reflections. 



Range 



Breeds throughout the United States 

 west to Texas, Colorado and Montana, 



and in Southern Canada; winters in the 

 southern half of the breeding range. 



Habits and Economic Status 



This blackbird is a beautiful species, 

 and is well known from its habit of con- 

 gregating in city parks and nesting there 

 year after year. Like other species which 

 habitually assemble in great flocks, it is 

 capable of inflicting much damage on any 

 crop it attacks, and where it is harmful a 

 judicious reduction of numbers is prob- 

 ably sound policy. It shares with the 

 crow and blue jay the evil habit of pillag- 

 ing the nests of small birds of eggs and 

 young. Nevertheless it does much good 

 by destroying insect pests, especially 

 white grubs, weevils, grasshoppers and 

 caterpillars. Among the caterpillars are 

 army worms and other cutworms. When 

 blackbirds gather in large flocks, as in 

 the Mississippi valley, they may greatly 

 damage grain, either when first sown or 

 when in the milk. In winter they sub- 

 sist mostly on weed seed and waste 

 grain. 



Brewer's Blackldrd 

 Euphagus cyanocephalus 



Length, 10 inches. Its glossy purplish 

 head distinguishes it from other black- 

 birds that do not show in flight a trough- 

 shaped tail. 



Range 



Breeds in the West, east to Texas, Kan- 

 sas and Minnesota, and north to South- 

 ern Canada: winters over most of the 

 United States breeding range, south to 

 Guatemala. 



Habits and Economic Status 



Very numerous in the West and in fall 

 gathers in immense flocks, especially 

 about barnyards and corrals. During the 

 cherry season in California Brewer's 

 blackbird is much in the orchards. In 

 one case they were seen to eat freely of 

 cherries, but when a neighboring fruit 

 raiser began to plow his orchard almost 

 every blackbird in the vicinity was upon 

 the newly opened ground and close at 

 the plowman's heels in its eagerness to 

 get the insects exposed by the plow. 

 Caterpillars and pupae form the largest 

 item of animal food (about 12 per cent). 

 Many of these are cutworms, and cotton 



