654 Igeili Svetozdr : 



The result of all this was to find myself engaged in a ruth- 

 less war with the Sparrows, who had insolently occupied these 

 nesting boxes. 



In the ripening corn, fruit, and grapes, the Sparrows are 

 the first to take their share — no insignificant one, if their 

 number is large. 



As regards other kinds of food, during the past winter I 

 purposely left the caterpillar nests on one apple tree and 

 one pear tree near the abodes of the sparrows to see the 

 devastation that the feathered hosts would make on them. 

 Well : the first sprays of each tree have been entirely eaten 

 by the insects, notwithstanding the swarms of Sparrows that 

 hatched out on these trees. 



Could you have a more convincing proof of the 

 mischievousness anduselessness of this little scoundrel ? 



I know the opinion of the Frenchman Henri Fahre, who 

 came to the conclusion in favour of the protection of the 

 Sparrow. 



I know also the anecdote of Frederic the Great, who 

 ordained the destruction of all these birds, for having eaten 

 his cherished cherries, and that afterwards he had no fruit, 

 because the insects had ravaged it all. In spite of this 

 I am bold enough to maintain my assertion and to 

 make the following* proposition, viz. — that in Ministerial 

 Instructions, which may be issued, dealing with lists of 

 useful and harmful birds, the Sparrow shall be mentioned as 

 harmful ; that the really useful birds shall be more carefully 

 protected than they have been hitherto ; that the parents 

 of the boy " fitters " of the nests of useful birds shall be fined 

 severely, being held responsible for their children's misdoings 

 in this respect. 



It should be ordered that each commune should erect in 

 suitable positions artificial nesting places for useful birds ; 

 that they should take care to provide food for them in severe 

 winters ; and protect them from their natural enemies. The 

 distinctions between the eggs of different birds should be 

 taught in the schools. 



Finally, it might be useful to have a staff of ornithologists 

 attached to the Administration of Agriculture, who could 

 give instructions to the Inspectors for the culture of bees, 



