EXTENSION FROM CITY TO COUNTRY. 25 



who ought to be well informed in such matters have made careless or 

 inaccurate statements in this connection, that a few words may not be 

 out of place here. 



It is true, as has been shown already, that Sparrows prefer towns or 

 cities so long as their numbers are not excessive and food is abundant 

 there; but it is equally true that where the conditions are favorable 

 they eventually spread over the country as well as the towns, not only 

 going out from the city to the wheat-fields in flocks, but taking up their 

 residence at farm-houses, many miles from any large town, and remain- 

 ing there throughout the year. The time which must necessarily elapse 

 between the first appearance of Sparrows in a town and their occupa- 

 tion of the surrounding country will vary very much according to cir- 

 cumstances, and doubtless there are places in which, owing to certain 

 peculiar conditions, such a state of affairs never will be reached, but, 

 nevertheless, as a rale, such a result is only a matter of time. 



Mr. F.W. Giles, who first introduced the Sparrows in Kansas, in 1874, 

 writes from Topeka, under date of October G, 1886: 



They do not go out into the country at all, but have gone to various towns, distant 

 20 to 100 miles from Topeha. 



And Mr. Byron J. Peckham wrote from Westerly, R. I, early in 

 1884: 



The}- do not extend their visits to farms and their produce, but prefer t lie cities and 

 villages. 



Doubtless these statements arc the results of actual observation in the 

 localities named ; but the observations do not cover a sufficiently long- 

 period to justify any general conclusions of the same kind, or even to 

 make it probable that the Sparrows will continue to be so restricted in 

 those cities. For it is a matter of every day observation, in a multitude 

 of localities, that the Sparrows sooner or later overflow the cities and 

 towns, and spread over the surrounding country. From personal obser- 

 vation in the neighborhood of New York, Washington, and other cities, 

 as well as in the country about small towns, we arc able to state that 

 Sparrows are abundant along the country roads for several miles beyond 

 the suburbs. That the same thing is true in various parts of tlij coun- 

 try appears from the following testimonials. 



Mr. H. J. Gaylord, of Binghamton, N. Y., writes: 



He is no longer a city resident, bin is finding his way to the small villages, and 

 already is at the farmer's houses eight and nine miles in the country. Tie builds not 

 only in crevices and holes he finds around buildings, but in evergreen trees and run- 

 ning vines, on trellises; and he adapts himself to whatever condition he finds. 



Mr. Witmer Stone, of Germantown, Pa., writes: 



The Sparrow is now found throughout the villages, and about all the farm-houses 

 in Chester and Lancaster Counties. It appeared in the villages of Lancaster County 

 sonic years before it was common in Chester County, but it has now been common 

 at the farm houses in the central parts of the latter county for three or four years. J 

 find it has also made its appearance at all the villages and farm-houses situated along 

 the Susquehanna River in Lancaster and York Counties, but as yet it is not abun- 

 dant there. (November 9, 1886.) 



