Birds. 2299 



feathers, like those in the breast of a hen chaffinch ; scapulars, smaller wing-coverts and 

 greater wing-coverts generally white, but a few of them black ; wing-feathers, five ex- 

 terior white, then three as in the chaffinch, then one white, two dark brown, and the 

 remainder white, — the edges of all are tinged with yellow ; tail white, except the se- 

 cond feather on each side, which has a black longitudinal mark. This beautiful bird 

 was shot at Swain's Hill, three miles from Basingstoke, in Hampshire, and was brought 

 to me in the flesh : Mr. Hall has now skinned it, and obligingly offers to show it to 

 any ornithologist who will call on him. — Edward Newman. 



Is the House Sparrow (Fringilla domestica) injurious or beneficial to Agriculture P 

 — In the 'Zoologist' for August (Zool. 2188) Mr. Peacock proposes the following 

 question : " Is the sparrow injurious or beneficial to the farmer? " This is a question 

 of so much importance to the agriculture of this country, that I should rejoice to see 

 it for ever settled, and I know of no better medium for adjusting the matter than 

 through the excellent pages of this periodical, where, by having the contributions of 

 practical men from all districts, bearing upon the point, we may ultimately arrive at 

 the truth. I shall detail a plan, devised by intelligent "matter-of-fact" men, for 

 testing the merits of the bird under consideration in this district. For many years 

 this parish has suffered much from the common sparrow; and in the winter of 1847 

 this plan was laid for his destruction, and so far it has succeeded remarkably well. 

 Still it is only an experiment : the object was to see whether the neighbourhood would 

 be best with or without the sparrow, and of course time will be required to test it fully. 

 The agriculturists of this neighbourhood formed themselves into an " Association for 

 Killing Sparrows," and each member, under pain of forfeit, was obliged to produce 

 six birds every fortnight for nine months in each year. The result was, that during 

 the first two months 1000 sparrows were sent to the Secretary ; and, as near as can be 

 calculated, the number for the year will be 3000 or 3500, — a pretty good stock to 

 people about 3400 acres. Up to the present time our corn has suffered comparatively 

 little, and garden peas entirely escaped, — a matter of great moment to a horticultural 

 neighbourhood. Having so good an opportunity of examining the crops and gizzards 

 of the birds killed, I determined to avail myself of it to a considerable extent. I 

 have examined hundreds, at all periods of the year, and am obliged to confess that in 

 the old birds I have never found any insects, but always wheat and barley, occasion- 

 ally mixed with a few seeds. How much they consume I cannot calculate with accu- 

 racy, but in the crops of five birds I have found 180 good, plump and excellent grains 

 of wheat ; in six crops 80 grains of barley ; and in two others 74 grains of wheat. 

 The number of grains contained in the crop of a bird varied from 2 to 56, according 

 to the time of feeding before they were shot. At a meeting of the Club (consisting of 

 fourteen individuals) each person was of opinion that during the month one sparrow 

 destroyed a quart of corn, so that 1000 sparrows would eat 1000 quarts or 31 strikes, 

 or nearly 4 quarters of corn. This, taken throughout each month of the year, would 

 make 48 quarters, which, if sold in the market at 35s. per quarter, would have fetched 

 £ 84. This may seem exaggerated, but I do not think it is ; for I have known one 

 field (which the owner had neglected to tend) despoiled of about five quarters in a 

 season ; and let any person accustomed to agricultural pursuits, when he sees the 

 head-lands of fields destroyed, make his calculation as to the quantity taken, and I 

 fear that he will have reason to agree with me. It has been argued that sparrows in 

 winter obtain their food chiefly from farm-doors, and from straw with which cattle is 

 foddered ; but if so, the farmer's fowls, ducks and geese are robbed in the former case, 



