caterpillars. It has been proved beyond doubt that here this only 

 lasts for the first 16 days, and even during that time, corn forms a 

 large proportion. 



47 nestling Sparrows taken in June contained — with the 

 exception of about 6 insects — only old wheat and green peas. 



The evidence from America, extending over longer periods 

 and based upon a much larger number of stomachs, is even more 

 damning to the English Sparrow than the above. 



Dr. Judd, in his valuable Report on American Sparrows (33 

 species and sub-species), based on an examination of 4,273 

 stomachs, states of our Sparrow that " Animal matter, practically 

 all insects, constituted 2 per cent., and vegetable matter, almost 

 entirely seeds, 98 per cent. Insects were taken chiefly during 

 May and June, when they composed 10 per cent, and 8 per cent, 

 respectively of the month's food. Of the 98 per cent, constituting 

 the vegetable food, 7 per cent, consisted of grass seed and 1 7 per 

 cent, of various weeds not belonging to the grass family. But 

 what especially differentiates the vegetable food of the English 

 Sparrow from that of all other American Sparrows is the large 

 proportion of grain consumed, which formed 74 per cent, of the 

 entire food of the year, and 90 per cent, of that of the period from 

 June to August. 



The examination of the contents of the stomachs of 50 

 nestlings made an unfavourable showing for the species. It was 

 found that instead of being exclusively insectivorous like the young 

 of all the native Sparrows (so far as known), the young English 

 Sparrows had taken 35 per cent, vegetable food, 2 per cent, being 

 weed seed and 33 per cent, grain. The animal food was made up 

 entirely of insects, and these were chiefly injurious. 



The destruction of these harmful insects is, of course, a 

 service to the farmer; but it must be remembered that all the 

 food of the nestlings of other Sparrows consists of insects just as 

 injurious, while one-third of the food of nestling English Sparrows 

 is composed of grain. 



