The House-Sparrow 



delicate and beautiful of our birds will live near them, and 

 the House-Martin clinging to his home with pathetic per- 

 sistence is driven away again and again by this impudent 

 marauder. 



Is there, however, not one good word to be said for him ? 

 He is at least by no means bad-looking the chestnut of his 

 back, his slate-blue head, black and white cheeks, and black 

 throat all tend to add a touch of life and beauty to our gardens 

 which they would otherwise lack ; and then in summer he 

 destroys countless noxious insects while feeding his brood, and 

 in towns how companionable he is, hopping about our window- 

 sills or on the roadway, evading the passing traffic with a 

 knowledge born of long practice surely these at least are 

 compensations that entitle him to some regard. 



These arguments, however, all fail. Remove the Sparrow 

 and his place will soon be taken by other birds more 

 beautiful, who will destroy insects, not merely when they 

 have their broods, but throughout the year, and they will 

 soon populate our towns and gardens to as great an extent as 

 the present pest. Remove him? Yes! but how? There's the 

 rub. Man in the face of the Sparrow is, at present, powerless. 

 True, the bitter war he deserves is not waged on him in 

 this country, but abroad, in Australia and America, relentless 

 persecution is carried on, and though his numbers may be 

 kept in check he is still able to yearly inflict a loss and 

 damage that can only be measured in millions of pounds. 



At the same time man is largely to blame for this 

 increase. By careful farming, woods and thickets which 

 should shelter many other species of birds are cut down or 

 reduced, and thereby a similar reduction of their inhabitants 



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