134 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



Plimpton, Ohio. 

 Not only absolutely worthless, but positively harmful to a great 

 degree, the English Sparrow is the one great enemy, the one great 

 disgrace to bird life in this community. He does more harm here than 

 all other harmful birds put together. C. L. Metcalf. 



Colorado Springs, Col. 

 The English Sparrow is the best known and most thoroughly despised 

 bird in America. He is the Ishmael of the bird tribes and beak and 

 claw of bird, and the hand of man is lifted against him everywhere, but 

 despite this he is the cheeriest fellow on earth. He supplants other 

 birds more useful and ornamental than himself, and plays havoc in the 

 orchards and grain fields, and is on friendly terms with every injurious 

 insect destructive to the interests of farmer and gardener. His chief 

 mission in life as he sees it is to populate the earth with English Spar- 

 rows, and he has succeeded so well that their numbers are as the sands 

 of the sea shore. But for this he is a genuine Yankee, chock full of 

 American push and energy; doesn't know what defeat means, and chal- 

 lenges our admiration by his indomitable courage and get there active- 

 ness. He is a splendid and valuable scavenger, thereby assisting in 

 the protection of public health, and this is his only redeeming quality. 

 We don't need him, don't want him, but when time shall end he will be 

 the last and only bird left to dispute the summons to go. 



W. W. Arnold. 



Brooklyn, N. Y. 

 I have strong objections to the English Sparrow. Mainly because of 

 his aggressive ways, his dominating selfishness, his tyrannical temper- 

 ament. From my own observations I know that he gets into the nests 

 of Robins and other welcome visitants to our back yard, and finally 

 succeeds in making these birds so discouraged that they leave us. 



R. H. Howland. 



Curran, 111. 

 English Sparrows fight and drive away all our native insect destroying 

 birds. They eat almost no insects. They destroy the eggs of our 

 birds. They take all available nesting sites and bird boxes and full 

 trees and hedges with their unsightly nests. They tear to pieces flow- 

 ers and destroy wheat fields. Their nests stop up house and stable 

 gutters and stable door tracks. They foul houses carrying manure 

 from the street and putting it on porches and roofs. It is scarcely 

 possible on account of the odor, to enter a vacant house where they 

 have a nest. They breed in and out of season. Abbie Vredenburgh. 



Vermont. 

 I think the English Sparrow does more harm than good. I have 

 seen a whole flock of them attack a song bird and drive him out of the 

 community. I think the best way to drive them off the premises is 

 with the gun. I think they are of no value whatever. 



L. Henry Potter. 



