RESTRICTION BY TRAP AND GUN. 37 



been easy to find another where, for a time at least, it could rest un- 

 disturbed. 



In towns and cities where no direct protective legislation existed other 

 methods of limitation, such as trapping, shooting, and poisoning, were 

 possible, but in most cases these methods were limited practically by 

 such city ordinances as forbid the use of fire-arms within city limits, or 

 the use of poisons without special permission. Trapping can be success- 

 fully practiced only by a few persons who have the requisite knowledge 

 and appliances, and there is little evidence that the numbers of Sparrows 

 have been much lessened in this way. Much interesting information as 

 to the best methods of trapping Sparrows will be found in the report of 

 Mr. W. T. Hill on this subject. In spite of the fact that during the two 

 years ending October 1, 1887, Mr. Hill trapped upwards of 40,000 Spar- 

 rows in Indianapolis, Ind., they are still superabundant there, though 

 said to be considerably less numerous than formerly, especially about 

 the grain elevators, warehouses, etc, his particular field of operations. 

 The birds thus trapped have been used for the most part in shooting 

 matches. 



We know of instances in which a single garden or estate has been 

 kept fairly free from Sparrows by continual shooting and the system- 

 atic destruction of nests and eggs ; Thus Mr. Albert H. Phelps, of West 

 Pawlet, Yt., wrote in 1881: 



On this farm they have been destroyed by breaking up the nests and by shooting for 

 two successive years, and now they do not come here. They are abundant, however, 

 on neighboring farms where they have been undisturbed. 



So long as they are destroyed only in a few places they must be fol- 

 lowed up every year and not allowed to regain a foothold or they will 

 soon become as numerous as ever. 



In September, 1886, Mr. William Kaucher, of Oregon, Mo., wrote: 



They are all shot every spring, but others come in to take their places later. Sev- 

 enty-live or eighty were thus killed in our court-house park last spring. 



About a year later (November 14, 1887) Mr. Kaucher wrote : 



A war of extermination was waged by our citizens against the Sparrows, beginning 

 early in the spring and extending into June, when they were all killed. They are 

 coming in now from other places, but the same course will be followed next year in 

 regard to them. Now, if communities around us could be induced to do the same 

 thing, they couid be kept in subjection, if not altogether destroyed. 



Under date of March 2, 1888, Mr. Kaucher again wrote to the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture as follows: 



Our city council lately made an appropriation for the purchase of powder for the 

 purpose of killing sparrows. Our sportsmen availed themselves of the opportunity 

 thus afforded, and within the past ten days have killed nearly all that could be found. 

 Something of this kind seems better than the use of poisoned grain. 



Similar testimony has been received from a few other places, while 

 individual efforts to exterminate the birds have been quite common, 

 but from the nature of the case only temporarily successful. In places 

 where the first few pairs of Sparrows have been shot or driven away on 



