72 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



From L. N. Bonham, Oxford, Butler County, Ohio: 



I Lave known it to clean every grain of wheat from the cap-sheaf and exposed 

 heads in a ten-acre field of wheat in shock. Near the village it attacks the heads be- 

 fore the grain is put in shock. (November 29, 1886. Present abont eight years.) 



From A. T. Keister, Blacksburgh, Montgomery County, Va. : 



It destroyed for me alone six or eight shocks of wheat last season. (November 15, 

 1886. Present five years or more. ) 



From Davison Greenawalt, Chain bersburgh, Franklin County, Pa. : 



This summer I saw six acres of wheat in shock which was completely picked clean 

 on top and sides, as far as could be reached, by the Sparrow. (September 5, 1886. 

 Present about fourteen years.) 



From Edward Burrough, Merchant ville, IS". J. : 



Clouds of them gather in the wbeat fields, and the grain for a distance of 25 feet 

 next the fence is thrashed out and the ground coated with chaff. (September 2, 1886. 

 Present about ten years.) 



From Samuel ST. Bhoades, Haddonfield, N. J. : 



As the young of the first and second broods are often fully fledged by July, the 

 united attacks of these with the parents on standing wheat are inevitable, and near 

 towns, appalling. Should the mow or wheat stack be unthrashed, by midwinter not 

 an exposed head has a grain in it, and the birds, like mice, will fairly burrow inside 

 several inches for more grain. Oats in shock, and corn in crib, are also levied on 

 heavily. (September 9, 1886. Present twenty-five or thirty years.) 



From J. A. Dakin, Tully, Ouondaga County, N. Y. : 



I have seen large flocks tearing down wheat in the field, and oats and barley in the 

 stack and field. In some instances several acres have been destroyed in this way. 

 (September 10, 1886. Present about eight years.) 



From U. G. Gordon, Barry, Cuyahoga County, Ohio: 



The Sparrows are the worst birds we have. I have seen wheat fields and oat fields 

 in the vicinity of Cleveland which were injured at least one-half. (September 7, 



1886.) 



From the postmaster at Bowling Green, Warren County, Ky. i 



It has been observed to alight on shocks of grain and leave nothing but the straw. 

 (October 3, 1886. Present about eight years.) 



From T. D. Barron, Saint Clair, Mich. : 



I know fields of wheat and oats which it has almost destroyed. One small wheat 

 field within the limits of the city was one-third wasted by what was shelled out both 

 before and after it was cut. (October 7, 1886. Present eight or ten years.) 



From Bansoin A. Moore, Kewaunee, Wis. : 



Several in this vicinity have had their crops almost ruined by iis depredations 

 about the time the grain was ripeniDg. (November 8, 1886. Present about two 

 years.) 



From Charles M. Clapp, Albion, Noble County, Ind.: 



I have known of their picking out of the head all the grain in sight on top of 

 shocks and stacks of both wheat and oats. (October 14, 1886. Present five or six 

 years. ) 



From William Holmead, Mount Pleasant, District of Columbia 

 (suburb of Washington): 



I u. 1832 I had part of my farm in wheat. After cutting and shocking it the Spar- 

 rows came by thousands and destroyed every head of grain exposed ; after it was 



