l60 -^''<^"^ Magazines, &c [,sf'jan. 



in the nestling stage the food consists largely of soft-bodied 

 insects, and that in the adult stage considerable quantities of 

 weed seeds are eaten, and at times aphides. In reference to the 

 consumption of the farmer's grain, it is estimated that " they 

 will eat ^■'^ of an oz. of wheat per day — that is, 50 Sparrows 

 would eat i lb. of wheat per day, besides wasting, perhaps, as 

 much or more." Some investigation into the food question was 

 made at the College, the stomachs and crops of birds killed on 

 the College farm being examined, with the following results : — 

 " 109 Sparrows were examined at the College between August, 

 1904, and October, 1905, and the result showed that much food 

 is taken from cereal crops ; grapes were attacked in only two 

 cases ; a considerable number of birds (47 per cent.) fed on 

 weed seeds, in some cases to a large extent ; 15^ per cent, fed 

 on noxious insects ; in only one case were beneficial insects 

 destroyed ; 31 per cent, fed on small insects not known to 

 interfere with crops in any way, and therefore must be classed 

 as neutral ; in eating them Sparrows cannot be considered as 

 doing any good for us ; 88 per cent, fed on cereal grain of some 

 kind. These results certainly point to a considerable amount 

 of good being done by the clearing away of weed seeds and the 

 destruction of a quantity of noxious insects, the final results 

 being, however, against the Sparrow." The rapid spread of the 

 pest is explained by the following notes on their breeding 

 habits : — " The number of broods may be any number up to six 

 — usually three or four, with four to six young in a brood. The 

 numbers vary considerably, but it would appear that a pair of 

 Sparrows would raise from 12 to 15 young each season. 

 Breeding is continuous from August to February in the warm 

 parts of the State. They breed in and about buildings, and in 

 trees close at hand. . . . It is difficult to give any idea as 

 to what the bird will breed up to if left alone for another five 

 years. Let us assume that with us each breeding pair raises 16 

 young in a year, and that these are half males and half females ; 

 this is, perhaps, understating the case, but will sufficiently 

 answer our purpose. There would be at the end of five years, 

 as the result of a single pair, if all the progeny lived, over 64,000 

 breeding pairs. There are, however, losses from natural causes, 

 which reduce the numbers very much, and which make any 

 calculations purely speculative." Mr. Musson concludes that 

 the Sparrow has come to stay ; that the damage it does far 

 outweighs the good, probably as 8 to 2 ; that it has become 

 a menace to the agricultural industry and fruit-growers, and 

 should be promptly checked ; that this can only be accomplished 

 by organized, united, and persistent effort, renewed each year, on 

 the part of the individual. Two main lines of work are recom- 

 mended — to " prevent them breeding," and to " reduce them in 

 number by poisoning and shooting." It is suggested that it 



