164 Canadian Record of Science. 
and their immediate vicinities ; but now there is hardly a 
farm-yard or dwelling that is not visited by them during 
some part of the year in search of food or nesting places. 
Farmers and gardeners are suffering heavy losses annually 
from its ravages on grain, vegetables and fruit. 
The English sparrow was first brought to Canada about 
twenty years ago. Some colonies were brought to cities 
in the United States a few years previous to that. These 
birds were carefully protected and fed for a few years, so 
that they multiplied rapidly. 
Each pair rears two or three broods annually, and an 
average of four or five young in a brood. They invariably 
nest near the habitation of man, and, therefore, are free 
from such enemies as hawks, crows, shrikes, etc., that 
many of our native birds are exposed to in rearing their 
young. 
Let us take for granted that there are 20,000 sparrows 
in the city of Montreal and its suburbs at the present time, 
of which half are males and half are females—which would 
make 10,000 pairs—and putting the progeny of a single 
pair at 8 or 10 young in a season, which I believe to be a 
low estimate, then there would be from 80,000 to 100,000 of 
an increase in a single season, to spread to the adjoining 
country, to multiply in the same way. This may serve to 
give a slight idea of its rapidly increasing numbers. It is 
hardy and seems to be able to endure the cold winters of 
Canada, as it does the tropical heat of Australia, and it is 
becoming a burdensome pest in both of these widely 
separated countries. 
Although it has only been a short time here, yet in the 
vicinity of villages, flocks of several scores, and even 
hundreds, are sometimes seen in fields of wheat and oats, 
while the grain is still green and in the milk state. Besides 
the kernels actually eaten at this time, it does considerable 
damage by breaking down the stalks; but as the grain 
matures, however, far more damage is done by shelling and 
beating out the heads, so that much more is scattered on 
the ground and lost than is actually eaten. 
