BIRD ENEMIES INTRODUCED BY MAN 157 



Bulletin No. 493, on "The English Sparrow as a 

 Pest," the following directions are given for the 

 preparation of poisoned grain : — 



Put one eighth ounce of pulverized strychnine sul- 

 phate into three fourths of a gill of hot water, add one 

 and one-half teaspoonfuls of starch or wheat flour, mois- 

 tened with a few drops of cold water, and heat, stirring 

 constantly till the mixture thickens. Pour the hot poi- 

 soned starch over one quart of wheat and stir till every 

 kernel is coated. Small-kerneled wheat sold as poultry 

 food, if reasonably clean, is preferable to first-quality 

 grain, being cheaper and more easily eaten by the spar- 

 rows. A two-quart glass fruit jar is a good vessel to mix 

 in, as it is easily shaken and allows the condition of the 

 contents to be seen. If the coated wheat be spread thinly 

 on a hard, flat surface, it will be dry enough for use in a 

 short time. It should be dried thoroughly if it is to be 

 put into jars and kept for future use. 



The following method of using poisoned grain is 

 given by Dr. Hodge in " Nature-Study and Life" : — 



It requires but one kernel to kill a sparrow. A quart 

 of wheat contains about 23,000 kernels, and the spar- 

 rows seldom take more than two or three. Expose the 

 grain where poultry and tame pigeons cannot get it, 

 and by operating only during the winter, there will be 

 no danger of poisoning seed-eating wild birds at least for 

 all Northern towns and cities. By taking advantage of 

 the sparrows' gregarious habits, and the fact that they 

 drive off other birds from localities where they are nu- 

 merous, much might be done even in the South. 



Sparrows are such suspicious and cunning birds that, 

 if the strychninized grain be exposed at first, they will 

 probably roll each kernel in their bills, taste it, reject it, 



