194 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



imdoiibtedlj perform. Xativc birds, liowcvcr, iiiinht have 

 done as well or better had the sparrow been left in its native 

 home, and had they been enconragod to nest in the parks, for 

 practically all native birds cat these insects. 



Many people have complained during the year that the 

 sparrow has driven native birds from nesting boxes, and two 

 cases have been reported where the sparrow has dragged the 

 young of other ])irds out of nests and killed them. A great 

 manufacturing firm writes: — 



The sparrows have become so numerous about our buildings as to 

 be almost unbearable so far as noise is concerned. Also they are 

 extremely dirty and we are very desirous of keeping them away. It 

 has occurred to us that poisoned food of some sort could be used 

 with safety. May we not hear a word from you? If poison is 

 proper, how shall we proceed? 



Many inquiries similar to tliis have been received. Most 

 of these inquirers have been referred to Farmer's Bulletin 

 389, published by the Bureau of Biological Survey, Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, entitled " The English Sparrow as a 

 Pest," and Farmer's Bulletin 493, issued by the same bureau, 

 on " How to destroy English Sparrows." 



The old-time question as to whether tlie English sparrow 

 is a pest or not continually comes u]). The sparrow rears 

 many young, and as the young are fed to a considerable 

 extent on insects they consume quantities of insects in a 

 summer. Should the sparrows in our city parks be destroyed, 

 probably we should have serious tr()ul)le with leaf-eating 

 insects, before native birds could be attracted to these parks 

 in any numbers. Few native birds will come into the parks 

 and nest there wliilc^ the sparrow remains. Tlie greatest 

 injury done by tlie sparrow, therefore, results from the dis- 

 placement of native birds and a consequent increase of in- 

 sects which the sparrow does not eat. The leopard moth, 

 for example, which was iutroduced into this country in the 

 latter part of the la-^t century, lias become very destructive 

 in cities. The control of this insect is very difficult and ex- 

 pensive, as it is a borer and cannot be reached by sprays of 



