PERCHING BIRDS. 107 



land, and from increasing their numbers from fifty to 

 five hundredfold !" 



But we will leave estimates and suppositions for facts. 

 It is well known that in France, where game is not pre- 

 served, a large class of " sportsmen" content themselves 

 with shooting anything that comes in their way, and do 

 not think it infra dig. to bag sparrows, linnets, and the 

 like. The consequence is that small birds of all kinds 

 have been so extensively destroyed that serious injury 

 has resulted to the crops by the increase of insects, and 

 numerous petitions have been presented to the Govern- 

 ment praying that, on this ground alone, a law may be 

 passed to prohibit the practice of destroying small birds. 

 In one of the eastern departments the loss sustained in 

 1861 by the ravages of wire worm alone was computed 

 at 4,000,000fr. or 160,000^. ; and this enormous sacrifice 

 of property was almost entirely caused by the ruthless 

 destruction of small birds. 



The attacks upon sparrows and other small insectivo- 

 rous birds, however, still went on, with a consequent 

 increase of insect pests; the agriculturists became 

 alarmed at the result, and in June, 1864, presented four 

 petitions to the French Senate praying for redress, and 

 asserting that agriculture would " be seriously menaced 

 if the destruction continued of their sole auxiliaries in 

 arresting the propagation of insects, the scourge of all 

 cultivation/' In accordance with their prayer, a com- 

 mission was appointed, presided over by M. Bonjean, 

 which proceeded to collect evidence. The result as 

 regards our friend the sparrow was, " that he, and he 

 alone, could carry on the war successfully against the 

 cockchafers and the thousand winged insects infesting 

 the low grounds," and that in Hungary and in the Pays 



