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withstanding the payment of considerable sums of money, the 

 number of sparrows did not seem to decrease; also, it was found 

 that birds of many species, most of them useful native birds, 

 were killed as sparrows by hunters for the bounty, and in very 

 many cases bounties were paid on their heads. A reward offered 

 for the destruction of English sparrows would be certain to 

 bring about the death "of numberless native birds. 



Peotecting Grain, Fruit and Vegetables. 

 \A'Tiere sparrows are numerous and become destructive to 

 growing grain, shooting in spring, summer and autumn, and 

 poisoning in winter are the only remedies knowui. When the 

 grain is ripening the crop may be protected by boys armed 

 with guns and kept constantly in the field from dawn to dark. 

 Powder may be used mainly to frighten the birds, and a charge 

 of shot may be sent after them occasionally when they cease 

 to fear blank cartridges. Large clappers made of boards to 

 imitate the sound of a gun are used in England and might be 

 utilized here a part of the time to drive away the birds and 

 save powder. Similar means may be used to save fruit, but 

 English sparrows are not now generally destructive to fruit in 

 ]\Iassachusetts, as their numbers have been much decreased by 

 a severe winter. If the fruit plot is small it may be covered 

 during the ripening season with a fine-meshed fish net. A few 

 cherry trees are sometimes protected in this manner. Young 

 plants, such as peas, cabbages, etc., have been saved from the 

 sparrow by covering the rows with small branches. 



To PREVENT Sparrows taking Food designed for Native 



Birds. 

 Many people have complained that where seed, suet and 

 other food have been put out for winter birds on feeding tables 

 or shelves sparrows have taken all or nearly all the food. 

 Sparrows do not like swinging shelves which may be hung by 

 wire, or better yet by spiral springs, which make them still 

 more unstable. Native birds use such shelves. Where spar- 

 rows eat suet it may be crowded into auger holes bored in 

 sticks, and the sticks may be fastened to the under side of a 



