SPA 



SPA 



.5 obferved, that were all the farmers in a neighbourhood 

 to agree to their deftruftion, by oftering rewards for their 

 heads, their numbers might be leflened ; and that were the 

 practice general, furcly the whole race might be extirpated. 

 It is fuppofed, that fixpence a dozen the firft year, nine-pence 

 the fecond, and a fhilling the third year, would nearly reach 

 their complete extirpation. To enforce which, it (hould 

 be confidered how foon twelve fparrowa deftroy twelve 

 lenny-worth of wheat. 



In Kent, they ufe a fpecies of trap, which is very effec- 

 tual in taking them. It, according to Mr. Marfliall, con- 

 filts of a fmall wicker baflcet, refembling the fruit-fievc of 

 the London markets, with a cover of the fame material 

 fitted to it, and formed on the principle of the fi(h-pot, 

 and the vermin trap, into which the entrance is eafy, but 

 the return difficult. Thefe traps, which are an ordinary 

 article of fale in the markets of the diftritt, are conllituted 

 of brown unpeeled ofiers. The diameter about two feet ; 

 the depth nine inches ; the cover is fomewhat difhing, with 

 \ tunnel, or inverted cone, in the centre, reaching to 

 vithin an inch of the bottom of the baflcet ; the aperture 

 r entrance, formed by the points of the twigs, of which 

 the tunnel is conilrudled, being about an inch and a half 

 in diameter. And the ufual bait is wheat fcattered in 

 the balket. The number caught at once, is frequently 

 more than theory would fuggeft ; the contentions of a few 

 that have entered, feldom failing to bring others to the 

 combat. 



Thefe mifchievous birds, however, foon grow too cun- 

 ning to be taken in any fort of trap to any extent, which 

 has a chance of extirpating and deltroymg the race ; con- 

 fequently fome more effeiStual and certain plan, fuch as that 

 fuggefted above, or fome other, which is better and more 

 fully adapted to the purpofe, muft be had recourfe to in 

 order to completely exterminate them, and prevent the in- 

 jury they do annually to the farmer, in the deftruftion of 

 his wheat and other crops. Though thefe are only fmall 

 birds, they deftroy valt quantities of grain, much more 

 than has indeed been commonly fuppofed. It is ftated to 

 have been calculated to have amounted to a hundred facks 

 of wheat, befides the oats and barley, in the courfe of only 

 one feafon, in a townfhip of no very great extent in the 

 north-weltern part of the kingdom. Where rewards or 

 fums of money are paid for the taking or dcitroying them, 

 no advantages are gained, except wliere there are fufficiently 

 ample and proper regulations entered into and enforced, 

 the whole diftrift, parilh, or townlhip becoming partakers 

 in the bufinefs. No languid or half meafures will do 

 any thing ufeful, or to the purpofe, in this fort of under- 

 taking. 



It is not improbable, but that thefe deftruftive birds 

 might be greatly extirpated and thinned down in their 

 numbers, by the ufe of fome taftelefs infufion of a ftrongly 

 poifonous nature, either to the ears of the grain at the time 

 of harvcd, or to the naked grain in the winter feafon, when 

 they are extremely eager for food, as they are conftantly 

 found to remain hovering about houfcs or other buildings, 

 where the effedts of fuch trials might eafily be afcertained. 

 If fuch a method (hould iucceed, the whole race might 

 readily, and with great facility and certainty, be exter- 

 minated. 



SpAniiow-Gra/r, in Botany. See Asparagus. 



SpARRow-//rtw/E. See Hawk. 



Spauiu)vv-^o/V, in Botany. See Passerina. 



SPARRY, in Mineralogy, having a confufed cryftalline 

 ftrufture, fynonimous with fpathofe. 



Sparry Iron Ore, denominated alfo broiun /par and 

 Vol. XXXIII. 



pearl /par, is a mineral compofed of the oxyd of iron com- 

 bined with about thirty-five ^fr fcn/. of carbonic acid, and 

 a variable portion of manganefe, lime, and magnefia. (See 

 /ro« Ores.) As pearl fpar, this mineral may be chfled 

 among the earthy minerals. It has a white colour, palling 

 by various gradations into brown, with a pearly lultre ; in 

 the pure white fpecimens the luftre is briUiant. It occurs 

 in fmall curved rhomboidal cryltals, which do not melt be- 

 fore the blow-pipe, but didolve with efFcrvefcence in mu- 

 riatic acid. This mineral is generally found in veins, ac- 

 companying metallic ores, but is never worked as an ore 

 of iron. 



SPARS, in Rural Economy, a name often applied to 

 thatching rods, or the Ipelks or rods by which thatch is 

 bound on the roofs of buildings. 



Spars, in Ship-BuUding, fmall fir-trees ; called cant, 

 which are from 33 to 35 feet long, and five hands circum- 

 ference ; barling, fiom 30 to 28 feet long, and four hands cir- 

 cumference ; boom, from 24 to 20 feet long, and three hands 

 circumference ; middling, from 20 to 16 feet long; and fmaU, 

 from 1 6 to II feet long. 



SPARSE-Leaves, Spar/a folia, among Botani/ls. See 

 Leaf. 



SPARTA, in Ancient Geography, a celebrated city of 

 Greece, in the Peloponnefus, and the capital of Laconia. 

 It was fituated at the foot of mount Thamax, on the banks 

 of the Eurotas, and to the W. of it. 



According to Strabo, this city was founded by Patrocles ; 

 but the moft common opinion attributes its origin to Leles, 

 in the year i j 16 B.C. Some maintain that it originated at 

 Lacedxmon in the year 400 B.C. However this may be, 

 it was known alfo by this name. However, the appellation 

 of Spartans is applied to the inhabitants of Sparta and its 

 territory, and that of Lacedaemonians to the inhabitants of 

 the whole country of Laconia. (See Laconia, and Lace- 

 D^ffiMONiANS.) This country was not equal in extent to 

 Athens, containing only 48 fladia ; but it was adorned in 

 a very eminent degree. At firfl it had no walls, the Spar- 

 tans confiding in their own valour for its defence. In pro- 

 cefs of time, however, they conftrufted walls about it, when 

 the ambition of Callander, and the violent afl'aults of fome 

 tyrants, had wearied out and almolt exhaulted their fortitude. 

 Paufanias fays, that it was fortified on occafion of tlie wars 

 of Demetrius and Pyrrhus, and he mentions in terms of 

 high commendation fome pieces of fculpture, for which this 

 city was dilUiiguifhcd. Sparta was famous for a variety of 

 public inllitutions, among which were the fenate of th« 

 aged, the fenate of the confcrvators of the laws, the 

 fenate of the ephori, and that of the magillratc?, denomi- 

 nated Bidiians. The firfl of thefe was the fovereign tri- 

 bunal of the Lacedxmonians, which regulated the afl'airs 

 of the flate ; the other fenators were, properly fpeaking, 

 archons ; the ephori were five, and the Bidincans of the 

 fame number, whofe province it was to diretl and fuper- 

 intend the exercifes of the youth. The public edificej, 

 temples, itatiies, and monuments of Sparta, were fo numerous 

 and various, that we (hould far exceed our limits in recount- 

 ing them. It is not cert.iin at what time this celebrated 

 place was deftroyed ; but it was fuccecded by the modern 

 town of Mifitra, which is fituated about four miles from 

 ancient Sparta. 



Sparta was alfo the name of a town fituated in the 

 environs of the Euxine fea. Steph. By/. 



Sparta, in Geography, a poll-town of America, in 

 Sparta county. North Carolina ; 541 miles from Walhing- 



toD Alfo, a poll -town of New .lerfcy, in Sulfex county ; 



117 miles from Philadelphia. — Alfo, a poll-town of Han- 

 3 M cock 



