EVIDENCE. INCREASE AND CHECKS. 161 



walks and in the grass of said park. The inclosed article, clipjjed from the Jersey 

 City Journal of August 12, 1886, gives a more minute description of the great destruc- 

 tion of Sparrows : 



« * * * xhe sight presented in the pretty park would have delighted those who 

 are determined to do away with the Sparrow nuisance. Piled in a heap near the 

 fountain the reporter saw over four hundred dead Sparrows. Constant additions 

 were being made to the mass hy boys who were scouring the lawns in search of dead 

 birds. The park-keeper stated that two wheelbarrow- loads of dead Sparrows had 

 already been gathered up and taken away. There must have been nearly one thou- 

 sand five hundred deaths in the Van Vorst Park Sparrow colony last night. 



"Exactly what caused this mortality is unknown. Policeman Sturgis stated that 

 when he locked the park gates last night hundreds of Sparrows that had been thor- 

 oughly drenched by the storm were hobbling about the paths. There were a lot of 

 cats about, and the felines could be seen seizing Sparrows in all directions. When 

 Sturgisreturned to the park this morning dead birds were lying about in all direc- 

 tions. Under a large willow tree that had lost a big limb in the storm twenty-eight 

 dead birds were found. The paths and lanes were sprinkled with tiny feathered 

 carcasses in all directions. * * * There are very few live Sparrows in the park 

 to-day, and they are unusually quiet and subdued." (August 23, 1887.) 



Passaic Bridge. F. M. Carryl : I manage to kill one or two a day the year round, 

 but it seems to make no difference. (August 20, 1886.) 



JVoodstoivn. Jas. D. Lausen : It breeds monthly. One pair now has three young in 

 the nest. (August 18, 1886.) 



New Yokk. — Highland Falls. Dr. Edgar A. Mearns : They are shot by farmers 

 and gardeners. Grape producers hire boys to shoot them. (February 27, 1884.) 



Northport. William Crozier : I do not allow them to be destroyed on my farm. I 

 wish we had more of them, for I consider the species a most valuable one. (August 

 26, 1884.) 



Phoenix. Benjamin F. Hess: The first Sparrows, a single pair, came to our farm 

 in the spring of 1884, and to-day undoubtedly one hundred can be seen about the 

 trees and buildings. (August 25, 1886.) 



Rochester. H. Eoy Gilbert : It rears three broods yearly. Eggs can be got at any 

 time. (August 20, 1884.) 



TJtlca. Thomas Birt : The English Sparrows, which were to be seen in flocks of 

 hundreds previous to the cold snap, have dwindled down to a dozen or two in a flock, 

 or even less. Would that the past cold month had exterminated the pest altogether. 

 (February 4, 1888.) 



Ohio. — Akron. Ferdinand Schumacher: They have increased a thousandfold dur- 

 ing the ten years of their presence here. (October 25, 1886.) 



Cleveland. Dr. E. Sterling: Outside the city gardeners and fruit-growers shoot 

 them on sight. (February 25, 1884.) 



Columbus. William B. Alwood : They have jincreased very rapidly for some years, 

 but I can not see that there has been any noticeable increase during the past year. 

 No means has been taken to restrict their increase, except shooting when they become 

 troublesome on wheat-fields. I have been told by different parties that they destroyed 

 Sparrows very successfully in winter by feeding them poisoned grain. (July 16, 

 1887.) 



New Athens. T. M. Sewell : It first appeared here in 1882, and was most abundant 

 in 1885. Great numbers were destroyed by hail this present season. (November 11, 

 1888.) 



Newton Falls. E. W. Turner: They are breeding so fast in our large towns that 

 during the last two years they have invaded the country and done incalculable dam- 

 age. (November 16, 1886.) 



North Bend. 11. H. Warder : There is constant destruction of nests and eggs here, 

 (November 27, 1886.) 



