146 ANNALS OF BIRD LIFE. 



enormous flocks of Sparrows do to grain crops 

 alone is very considerable at the lowest possible 

 estimate for the whole country, say upwards of a 

 quarter of a million sterling every year ! This is 

 a very serious item in the agricultural statistics of 

 the United Kingdom, and one which is almost 

 invariably overlooked ; yet the fact remains. 

 Before we discuss remedies, let us look on the 

 other side of the picture. 



So far as my own experience of the House 

 Sparrow extends in this matter, and it is based 

 on much careful dissection, I am strongly of 

 opinion that the bird's greatest use to man rests 

 in its eating the seeds of various weeds. Sparrows 

 feed greedily on the seeds of all the commoner 

 weeds, such as dock, chickweed, dandelion, bind- 

 weed, charlock, etc. ; and in this respect alone 

 pretty well compensate the farmer for the damage 

 to his grain, although the benefit he derives is not 

 so apparent to him as his loss. Throughout the 

 entire year the customary food of the House 

 Sparrow is grain and seeds. For three months 

 out of the twelve July, August, and September 

 the Sparrow has the corn-fields at his mercy, 

 but during the other nine months the seeds of 

 weeds are his staple support. Of course this only 

 applies to the country Sparrows, the town birds 

 live on anything and everything they can pick up 

 in the streets and near houses ; and as soon as 

 grain becomes scarce the fields are deserted by 

 them. During the spring and summer the 



