WILD LIFE OF ORCHARD AND FIELD 



able them to rear their young at seasons when in 

 a wild state it would not be possible to do so. The 

 English sparrows, breeding all the year round, 

 or nearly so, in the parks of our coast cities, are a 

 case in point. 



That civilization has to some extent governed 

 the migrations and geographical distribution of 

 many species of our birds not directly warred upon 

 as pot game, for amusement, or because they are 

 obnoxious to crops, could easily be shown had I 

 space at command to bring forward illustrations; 

 and when another two centuries have rolled around 

 the effect will be very striking. The mocking and 

 Bewick's wrens, the rose-breasted grossbeak, chest- 

 nut-sided warbler, and other species, have spread 

 northward and become more abundant since the 

 time of Wilson and Audubon; the bobolink has 

 kept pace with the widening cultivation of rice 

 and grain fields; the red-headed woodpecker has 

 retreated from New England; the Arkansas fly- 

 catcher has multiplied and spread as a town bird 

 through all the cities and villages from Council 

 Bluffs to Denver; the raven has gradually retired 

 before the wood-cutter, until it has almost ceased 

 to exist ; while year by year the crow has extend- 

 ed its range, without seeming in the least to di- 



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