2350 Birds. 



poor enemies — the sparrows — to rid them of the pest. — John Hawley ; Doncaster, No- 

 vember 6, 1848. 



Reply to Mr. Briggs on the destructive power of the Sparrow. — Being one of those 

 who think that nothing- was made in vain, but that everything in its proper place, lias 

 its beneficial use in the wise arrangements of the whole, — that other opinions are held 

 by many I am well aware ; but how often, when the why and wherefore is examined, 

 do we see it to be pounds, shillings and pence that are interfered with ! and when 

 such a parly does investigate any subject — for instance, the food of sparrows — how often 

 is it done partially, looking with a microscopic eye for causes to condemn, magnifying 

 the evil, real or apparent, while every good property is either cast into the shade or al- 

 together overlooked ! Now, I am afraid these matter-of-fact men, who have formed 

 themselves into an Association to kill so many sparrows in a given time, or submit to 

 a fine, are of this class ; because the evils enumerated by your correspondent, Mr. 

 Briggs, are enlarged to an unwarrantable extent. That the sparrows do destroy grain 

 during a certain period of the year none will deny ; but that they rob the agriculturist 

 during twelve months is too had ! Since reading Mr. Briggs' letier I have waited 

 upon three of our most eminent and enlightened farmers in this district, for their 

 opinion on this subject ; and they agree on oue point, that six weeks is the very out- 

 side (but two of them think a mouth nearer the truth) that sparrows do in any way 

 injure the agriculturist. But say six weeks ; this reduces the evil to an eighth part, 

 which will reduce the quantity destroyed by a thousand sparrows to 5 quarters, 6 strikes, 

 1 peck, which, at the assumed price of 35s. per quarter, would he £ 10 2s. 4d., instead 

 of £ 84. as stated by Mr. Briggs. But it may be asked, where do they obtain the 

 grain found in their stomachs during the other period of the year? Need we say that 

 sparrows are foul feeders, and that wherever we see the exuvia of animals fed on grain 

 we are almost sure to find sparrows feeding: and we think they pick up much in the 

 fold or stuhble- fields that would he trodden under foot, or otherwise wasted, if they 

 did not get it. As it regards robbing the corn-ricks, it must only be stray heads, — for 

 it is well known that the ears of corn are placed inward and the straw towards the 

 outside, — and it is very likely these would either perish by the weather or he devoured 

 hy mice. Is it not more likely, when they are burrowing up to the tail in ricks, that 

 it is either for warmth or in quest of insects ? But Mr. Briggs says, he never found 

 insects in any of the stomachs of the 1000 sparrows examined. How were they ex- 

 amined ? was it by a microscope ? without it how often are we deceived. Often what 

 I have thought was a concrete mass of sand and other matter has proved to be the re- 

 mains of insects when examined by a microscope ; and it is well known, or ought to 

 be, that insects are assimilated into the system much sooner than grain. How often 

 do we see grain, berries, seeds, Sec, voided, apparently entire and uninjured, while in 

 the meantime all traces of animal food are gone. But it may he said that proof posi- 

 tive is wanted that sparrows do feed on insects. As your correspondent has pointed to 

 the bill of the sparrow, as a proof that they are grauivorous and not insectivorous, may 

 we be allowed to point to the pheasant, partridge, and our domestic Gallinae, which 

 eat insects whenever they can obtain them. And, again, we have a case in hand 

 showing that the formation of the bill is not in all cases conclusive as to what the birds 

 feed upon. Look at the account, hy your correspondent Mr. Smith, of the roller taken 

 at Banff, whose crop was filled with insects; yet the whole of the roller family have 

 stout bills, sufficient to enable them to cat any grain. Now, it would appear that 

 grain-feeders can and do eat insects, but that many of the insectivorous birds cannot 



