THE ENGLISH SPARROW AS A PEST. 7 



AIDING NATIVE BIRDS AGAINST THE ENGLISH 

 SPARROW. 



One of the greatest objections to the English sparrow is its ag- 

 gressive antagonism toward the small native birds, especially those 

 familiar species which, like itself, build their nests in cavities. Nest 





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boxes provided for bluebirds, martins, or wrens birds both useful 

 and pleasing too often fall into the possession of this graceless 

 alien, either by the right of discovery or by piratical assault. For- 

 tunately it is possible to aid the native birds by selecting suitable 

 nest boxes. Thus, a box having an entrance 1 inch in diameter will 

 admit house wrens, but not sparrows. Boxes for larger birds, as 



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