ENGLISH SPARROW. 65 



and cities of New England and the Middle States, and many of those of the Western 

 States, without artificial assistance. It also made its appearance in suburban towns, 

 and even country villages. From the Southern States, and the Western States be- 

 yond the Mississippi river, we have received but few returns, and most of these state 

 that the sparrow has not been observed. In Canada it has become generally dis- 

 tributed over the southern sections of Quebec and Ontario, (it is abundant in the 

 city of Quebec,) and in 1884 several flocks invaded New Brunswick. 



Few observers have definitely determined the number of broods hatched yearly by 

 this bird, and the number of young to the brood. We have, however, returns from 

 several ornithologists. The maximum given by Mr. H. B. Bailey, of Orange, New 

 Jersey six broods in one season, with from four to five young in a brood proba- 

 bly indicates the extent of the bird's fertility in this climate. The usual number of 

 broods in the latitude of New York and southward appears to be four. In more 

 northern districts, three broods yearly would probably be near the average. 



There is an overwhelming mass of testimony to the effect that the sparrow molests 

 and drives away certain of our most valued species of native birds. .Many state- 

 ments have been received, giving accounts of conflicts provoked by the sparrow, in 

 which it was cruelly victorious. It is affirmed that from some localities native 

 species have been completely banished by the attacks or by the mere presence of the 

 foreigner. We have also evidence of an opposite character, declaring the sparrow's 

 peaceable disposition, and its association upon amicable terms with other species of 

 birds. 



Most of our correspondents state that they have never known the sparrow to 

 commit depredations upon crops, but well-authenticated instances are furnished 

 showing its ability and disposition to accomplish great destruction to grain. Mr. 

 Stewart, of Hackensack, New Jersey, relates the destruction of a wide margin of 

 wheat in the field. Hon. G. A. Bicknell, of New Albany, Indiana, says: "When the 

 grain ripens, the sparrows leave the city and attack the wheat fields in the suburbs. 

 I have seen hundreds of them at once in my fields, and they got about half the crop.'' 

 Mr. T. G. Gentry, in his exhaustive work on the sparrow, gives similar instances. 

 That the bird feeds upon fruits, is amply attested. 



Our thirteenth question calls for information as to the sparrow's preference for 

 food. Is it an insect-eater or a seed-eater? Every reply to this question, which is 

 based upon dissection, agrees in attributing to the bird a diet almost wholly vegeta- 

 ble. The statement of some observers, that it devours canker worms and a variety 

 of insects, is unaccompanied by reports of examinations of the stomach. 



The question as to the food of nestling sparrows elicited pretty uniform testimony, 

 animal matter in some form being said to constitute the bulk. Dissections by a com- 

 petent person, however, show "barely a trace of insect or animal food, but in lieu, 

 fine gravel and vegetable fiber." 



Responses to questions seventeen to twenty-one, inclusive, are too meager to be 

 of value. 



It is claimed by several of our correspondents that the measuring worm, so abun- 

 dant at the time of the sparrow's introduction into this country, was well-nigh ex- 

 terminated by the bird, so that for a considerable period it was unobserved. Since 

 it is a well-known fact that the worm occurs in very variable numbers in different 

 seasons, credit for its comparative extermination in this case can hardly be given 

 to the sparrow upon the doubtful evidence before us. 



The experiment has recently been tried in Philadelphia and elsewhere of substi- 

 tuting sparrows for pigeons in trap-shooting, but, of course, without seriously dimin- 

 ishing their numbers. In other localities the birds have been poisoned or otherwise 

 gotten rid of to some extent by indignant citizens in defiance of laws. 



