EVIDENCE. — INJURY TO FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 243 



Rhode Island. — Westerly. Byron J. Peckham : I have seen it eating fruit buds, but 

 do not tbiuk its ravages are extensive in this line. (February 20, 1884.) I observed 

 it tbis spring i>icking off the blossoms of our cultivated cherries to a large extent. 

 (1885.) 



Vermont. — Lunenburgh. Dr. Hiram A. Cutting: It does not usually injure trees, but 

 I saw one instance where they nested so abundantly in a hedge that it was injured. 

 (August 19, 1884.) 



Saint Johnsbury. Rev. Henry Fairbanks : It works upon some buds, but probably 

 does little harm. (February 5, 1884.) A flock this year stripped the currant bushes 

 of their blossoms. (1885.) 



Virginia. — Variety Mills. H. Martyn Micklem : It sometimes eats out young buds 

 of vines and fruit trees. (December 21, 1886.) 



West Virginia. — Mizaoeth. Z. E. Thorn : It injures grapes and evergreen trees 

 principally. (November 4, 1886.) 



Wisconsin.— Mishicott. N. H. Terens : It injures cherry trees, currant bushes, and 

 grape-vines. (November 17, 1886.) 



CANADA. Ontario. — Dunnville. Dr. G. A. McCallum : I have frequently seen it 

 eating the buds of fruit trees, especially the fruit buds. (August 20, 1886*.) 



Ottawa. W. L. Scott : I can positively affirm that I have seen them eat the burls 

 of the elm, maple, and other shade trees in the early spring, though I do not think 

 the damage was ever great enough to be especially noticeable. (January 26, 1886'.) 



Strathroy. L. H. Smith : I never saw any injury to my trees or vines by the Spar- 

 row. In one instance a gardener of our town complained to me of the Sparrows 

 budding one of his trees, a cherry, I think. (October 4, 1886.) 



Toronto. Dr. William Brodie : The stomachs of almost all Sparrows taken in March, 

 April, and May, contained buds of trees, and during these months the birds were 

 repeatedly seen feeding on the buds of elms and maples throughout the city. [See 

 Dr. Brodie's tables of the food of the Sparrow, page 311 of this Bulletin.] 



New Brunswick. — Saint John. D. W. Pilkington : It eats the buds of the plum, 

 gooseberry, etc. (Wickham, N. B., September 6, 1886.) 



INJURY TO PKUITS, GAKDEtf SEEDS, AND VEGETABLES. 



In response to the question, Does the Sparrow injure garden fruits and 

 vegetables % seven hundred and eighty-eight replies have been received. 

 Of this number 343 are brief, and for the most part unimportant, as 

 they probably represent in most cases only the opinions of the writers, 

 and afford no clue to the kind or amount of observation on which they 

 are based. The following summary is a complete list of these three 

 hundred and forty-three replies : 



Reports. 



No 163 



Think not ; believe not 33 



Not to my knoweledge 15 



Not so far as observed 22 



Not here ; not yet 3 



Not much 6 



Reports. 



No complaints heard 6 



Yes 27 



Think so ; believe so 2 



Am told so 1 



To some extent 5 



Iujures fruits „ 6 



Not materially ; not seriously 6 Injures small fruits 3 



Not to any great extent 6 | Iujures gardens 4 



Only to a limited extent 3 ! Destroys garden seeds 2 



But very little ; slightly 9 j Does not injure fruits 4 



Not more than some other birds 5 | Not observed to injure fruits 12 



