RILEY ON ITS INSECTIVOROUS HABITS 123 



row is known to vary its habit according to season and circumstance. 

 The 17.6 per cent, of the stomachs examined at the Department which 

 contained insect food is probably larger than it otherwise would be, had 

 it not been the custom, as Mr. Barrows informs me, of himself and 

 Dr. Fisher, in shooting the birds, to choose rather those which were not 

 feeding in the road. I do not know of any fact that more strongly in- 

 dicates the relative uselessness in destroying injurious insects of the 

 Sparrow as compared with many native birds which it drives away, than 

 by a comparison of the insect food taken by a single Cuckoo (Coccyzus 

 americanus). The stomach contents of a single female (Dr. Merriam's 

 record No. G333) shot in Washington, June 22, 1887, contained about 

 250 half grown Web-worms (Hyphantria cunea) of the first brood, 1 large 

 Cerambycid beetle (Romaleum atomarium) and its eggs, 1 large plant- 

 bug (Nezara Mlaris), and 1 Snail {Helix alternata), while in bulk the con- 

 tents in this case rather exceeded the combined insect contents of the 

 522 Sparrow stomachs examined. 



Considering how common the bird has been for centuries in Europe, 

 and now is in most parts of the world, it is remarkable that so few 

 thorough investigations into its insectivorous habits have been made, 

 by which I mean a proper determination and analysis of the insects 

 themselves from an agricultural standpoint. 



The results of studies that have been made by others are somewhat 

 contradictory, some examiners finding a large percentage of insect re- 

 mains, others finding none; but in no instance that I am aware of has 

 there been any attempt to analyze the nature of the insect food from the 

 standpoint of beneficial or injurious to the farmer and fruit grower. 



SURVEY OF LATER WORK DONE IN EUROPE. 



George Roberts, in Hardwiclws Science Gossip, 1883 (p. 217), mentions 

 Mr. A. Willis, of Sandas, as having made a series of examinations of 

 the stomachs of Sparrows in 1882. In 87 stomachs insects were found 

 in only 8 cases, and he concludes that the bird is a superabundant and 

 injurious species, and that it is the bounden duty of men to take all pos- 

 sible means to lesseu its ever-increasing numbers. 



From the "evidence submitted to the select committee on (British) 

 wild birds protection," obtained in 1873, many interesting points about 

 the habits of the House Sparrow can be learned. As far as actual dis 

 sections are concerned it seems that comparatively few were made, and 

 some of the other statements are but vague. The following is a resume 

 of the dissections: 



The statements of Mr. Champion Russell (p. 12) have been published 

 in book form and will be mentioned later. 



Prof. Alfred Newton, M. A., F. R. S., in a prophetic way, thinks that 

 persons introducing the Sparrows into new places will soon find out 

 their mistake. 

 Mr. C. O. Groome Napier thiuks them the most objectionable English 





