THE SPARROW, 59 



other birds, while in the States it seems that his high north- 

 ern range is limited, not so much by direct effect of cold 

 itself as by the circumstance that it freezes the horse-drop- 

 pings, on which city Sparrows depend for food to so large 

 an extent. Nor are cities a necessity for his existence; 

 in New Zealand, where he is now the commonest bird, he 

 has pushed his way into the wilds, and thrives far 

 away from civilization, having even learnt to burrow 

 nest-holes like a sand-martin in some cases. Neither New 

 Zealand nor Australia, however, regard him as a desirable 

 colonist, and in fact it is his long tale of virtues and his 

 strong and independent character which make him so 

 objectionable. His readiness to be accommodated with 

 food and lodging make him an economic pest and an ob- 

 trusive co-tenant of our roofs ; his courage degenerates 

 constantly into vulgar bullying, while such philoprogeni- 

 tiveness as his would probably in course of time make any, 

 even the mildest mannered and least obtrusive, bird into 

 a nuisance. It is the fact that insect-eating birds cannot, 

 however prolific, increase beyond a certain limit obviously 

 imposed by their food, that makes it reasonable to recom- 

 mend the continual suppression of Philip to give them 

 more scope. 



