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Ormerod condemned the sparrow on all counts, judging both from evidence and inference 

 and she strongly recommends it for wholesale slaughter. 



That the extermination of the English sparrow would be a great boon to Canada, the 

 writer has no doubt, and for the benefit of those who may wish to lessen the numbers of 

 this bird around their dwelling places, it may be mentioned that the Ornithologist of the 

 Department of Agriculture at Washington has had experiments made with a view to 

 determining the most convenient, efficient and economical poison for use, and the simplest 

 method of preparation. It was found that of the common poisons, strychnine was much 

 the quickest, but arsenic was better suited for the purpose, most birds that were fed on 

 arsenic in the morning dying in the night following, when they would be in their nests 

 or roosting places, and thus their poisoned bodies would not often endanger the lives of 

 domestic animals, particularly in the winter, when they seek the most secluded places for 

 roosting purposes. 



The best form of presentation was one part of arsenic to fifteen of cornmeal by 

 weight, mixed dry and fed wet. If whole grain, such as wheat, is used, it is well to 

 moisten the grain with a little water to which some gum has been added, so as to cause 

 the poison to adhere to the grains. 



There is a little association in St. Thomas to which the writer would like to call 

 attention, which has been doing good work with small outlay. By private subscription a 

 fund was raised, and the members of the association, mostly boys who have the good of 

 the birds and their country at heart, gave their own captures and services free, and spread 

 the news over the town that so much a dozen would be given for eggs and so much each 

 for heads ; and the spread of sparrows in that city promptly received a severe check. 



In view of the possibility of similar organizations elsewhere, it may be recommended 

 that as the females are the ones who are most actively engaged in perpetuating the 

 baneful species, the price set on the heads of females in the breeding season, that is from 

 March until the end of August, should be at least double that of the males, as, if the 

 females can be exterminated, it goes without saying that the males will soon die out 

 without any special assistance from man. It is generally held that until the Government 

 take up this matter and vote a sum of money for the purpose, the increase of these birds will 

 not be materially retarded, and certainly the sooner this is done the better for the country, 

 and the more expeditious and less expensive the work will be. That it will come to this 

 sooner or later, few that have given the matter much attention can doubt, as, even 

 though the disgust and inconvenience caused to the residents of cities be not sufficient to 

 call for its suppression, the time is coming when the damage caused to farm crops will 

 become immense, assuming national proportions, and then one might almost say it will be 

 too late, steps will have to be taken, and at an enormous expenditure of time and money 

 the evil will be wiped out. 



NOTES ON THE SPHINGID^E OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. 



EEV. THOMAS W. FYLES, SOUTH QUEBEC. 



The family Sphingidce is amongst the most interesting of the families of the 

 Lepidoptera. The large size and graceful outlines of the larvae, and the beauty, both of 

 form and colouring, of the perfect insects, at once attract the eye and win the admira- 

 tion. 



The name Sphingidse is given to this family because of the habit which the larvae of 

 many of its species have of curving the body into the attitude of the Egyptian Sphinx. 



The perfect insects are called Hawk Moths ; their hovering motions and the length 

 and shape of their clean-cut wings have suggested the name. Sometimes, also, on account 

 of their resemblance in shape and movements to the smallest of our feathered summer 

 visitants, they are very appropriately styled Humming Bird Moths. 



The earliest of the family to make their appearance are the pretty yellow-belted 

 moth (Amphion nessits), and the Clear Wings, or Bee-Moths (Sesia thy she and Sesia 

 diffinis). These, in the eastern townships, are often found in company, hovering over 

 apple-bloom. At Quebec they frequent the lilacs. 



I took, at lilacs, this spring, a lovely little Sesia of the size, and somewhat of the^ 



