AMONG THE WHEAT. 147 



Sparrow eats many insects and their larvae, but 

 appears always to evince a partiality for seeds. 

 Its young, however, from the time they are 

 hatched to the period of their flight from the nest 

 about a fortnight are fed almost entirely on 

 insects and caterpillars ; and as the Sparrow T rears 

 many broods in the year, the amount of insect life 

 destroyed must be very considerable. It should, 

 however, be stated that the later broods are often 

 partly fed on the young and milky grain. 



The questions therefore naturally arise : Is 

 the Sparrow worth his keep ? Does the good he 

 effects compensate and balance the harm ? In 

 this practical age when every item of cost of 

 production must be considered, are the farmers 

 justified in waging a war of extermination against 

 this bird ? Even we ornithologists, and therefore 

 champions and lovers of all birds, cannot blind 

 ourselves to the fact that the Sparrow is un- 

 doubtedly injurious to grain crops. The bird is 

 too numerous. It is allowed from a variety of 

 causes to multiply too quickly ; and last, and most 

 important fact of all, its enemies, the natural 

 checks to such abnormal increase, are not allowed 

 to live. I would make it an offence to destroy a 

 Sparrowhawk, or any other bird of prey in 

 agricultural districts, in spite of the protests of 

 game preservers. These Hawks play an im- 

 portant part in agricultural economy, and should 

 be preserved. There is no fear of our being 

 overrun with Hawks, their numbers would be 



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