108 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



de Bade, where the sparrow had been exterminated, 

 insects had increased to such an extent, "that the very 

 persons who had offered rewards for his destruction, 

 were the first to labour for his return, thus going to a 

 double expense !" 



I know something by experience of the numerous 

 insects that ravage the gardens in Australia, and can 

 understand the eager efforts made to introduce the Eng- 

 lish sparrow into that country. Our little friends took 

 kindly to the climate and rapidly increased, and the 

 following extract of a letter from a gardener near 

 Melbourne, quoted by Mr. E. Wilson, shows clearly the 

 value of their services : 



" A few weeks ago a portion of our grounds was 

 literally swarming with caterpillars, and I dreaded the 

 havoc that must ensue to our choice and valuable collec- 

 tion of young trees; fortunately, before any injury was 

 done the sparrows came to our aid, not in scores, but in 

 hundreds, and so completely destroyed the invaders that 

 in less than ten days very few of them were to be seen ; 

 and at the present moment the sparrows may be seen all 

 daylong following up the trail of uhe caterpillars, and rave- 

 nously destroying the last remnants of the army that. may 

 have before escaped their vigilance. Dec. 1 1, 1866." 



It was in 1862 that sparrows were introduced into 

 Australia, and so rapid had been their increase, that in 

 1868 the colonists were complaining that the fruit in 

 their gardens had been largely destroyed, and alleging 

 that the sparrows were the chief depredators. In April, 

 1868, the Secretary of the Victoria Acclimatization 

 Society was directed by the council to write to Mr, 

 Wilson to ask him to " assist them in procuring evi- 

 dence as to the utility of the sparrow to the garden 



