260 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



insects which the wrens and warblers desire for their own young, so that 

 by this method of food rivalry they are continually crowding out native 

 species which would not only destroy the caterpillars which the House 

 sparrow destroys in feeding its own young, but would not do the damage 

 which the House sparrow creates, and at the same time would, in the 

 author's estimation, be much more pleasant neighbors than this irritating 

 foreigner which has established himself so permanently in our midst. As 

 yet, no parasite has been discovered which might decimate the ranks of 

 this sparrow pest, and no enemy has yet arisen which has made any 

 appreciable impression upon it. It is true that Sparrow hawks and Sharp- 

 shinned hawks frequently establish themselves in the fall and winter in 

 the vicinity of sparrows' haunts and feed upon them throughout the 

 colder months, and in many of the northeastern states the Northern 

 shrike or Butcher bird has acquired the habit of entering towns or cities 

 and pursuing the English sparrow; but none of these birds are numerous 

 enough to affect the abundance of a bird which rears 6 to 8 young in one 

 brood and brings up 3 or 4 broods each season. A few sparrows are frozen 

 to death in our coldest northern winters a,nd during severe rain storms 

 many of the young are frequently destroyed, but they are still increasing 

 in number. It seems to be a question of rivalry, which is referred to 

 above. In the old world the various species of birds which compete with 

 the sparrow for nesting sites and food have become accustomed to his 

 ways and have gradually become able to cope with him, whereas the 

 American species with which he comes in contact have never had to 

 contend with such rivals and can not adapt themselves rapidly enough 

 to meet him successfully. Of all our native species, the Robin seems to 

 be the most successful in this contest of rivalry. The Phoebe succeeds 

 fairly well and the Song sparrow is only slightly affected. It is probable 

 that many of our more dominant species will survive, but undoubtedly 

 the sparrow is another influence which must be added to all the changes 

 mentioned in the chapter on Ecology which are affecting unfavorably 

 the abundance of many of our more interesting birds. 



