EVIDENCE. — EFFECTS ON NATIVE BIRDS. 267 



cess, for if one begins to light he always has five or six Sparrows on him, and there 

 are one hundred Sparrows to one martin. (October 12, 1836. Present many years.) 



Ferdinand. A. J. Fisher: The robin, summer martin, and bluebird are most 

 troubled by the Sparrow. The latter is always tbe aggressor and nearly always the 

 victor. They have furious conflicts. (October 8, 1886. Present about eight years.) 



Fort Branch. C. F. Garrison : In one case here the martins had a nest in a box on 

 a pole and the Sparrows drove them from the box after a fierce fight. The bluebird 

 is also attacked and driven away. (October 7, 1886. Present three or four years.) 



Greencastle. W. H. Pagan: The crow-blackbird, robin, jay, bluebird, and wren 

 will drive it away from the vicinity of nesting places. I think the stories of the pug- 

 nacious character of the Sparrow are greatly exaggerated. The pugnacious boy has 

 probably had more to do with banishing native birds than the Sparrow. As a rule 

 the Sparrow occupies a field (streets and populated regions) that other birds are not 

 adapted to, and it holds this territory the year round. (September 28, 1886. Present 

 about fourteen years.) 



Irvington. Sylvester Johnson: It does not attempt to usurp the rights of other 

 birds. There are as many birds here now as before the Sparrow came, and all live in 

 peace and harmony. (September 20, 1886. Present about six years.) 



La Fayette. F. M. Webster: The blue jay is the only bird that will nest in my 

 yard where these birds are abundant. (August 25, 1886. Present about twelve 

 years. ) 



New Albany. Jas. M. Payton: The Sparrows are good fighters, and attack every 

 bird that attempts to nest in boxes where they build. They do not migrate, but re- 

 main all winter, and when the bluebird and martin return in the spring they find 

 the Sparrows in possesion of their houses and hard to dislodge. The martin is most 

 generally successful, but the bluebird usually gives it up. A few years ago when 

 the martins came in the spring and found the Sparrows in their boxes there was hard 

 fighting for several days ; then they stopped, and the martins occupied the upper tier 

 of boxes and the Sparrows the lower, and there was no more fighting that year. 

 (September, 1885, and September 6, 1886. Present since 1867.) 



Iiiehmond (suburbs). Joseph C. Ratliff: I have seen the conflict between the blue- 

 bird and Sparrow, and know of martins that staid about their box for several days 

 after the Sparrows had possession. I think it either drives other birds away, or that 

 other birds will not stay in its company. Among the birds thus affected may be men- 

 tioned the robin, field or song sparrow, and woodpecker. (November 5, 1886. Pres- 

 ent about seventeen years.) 



Stony Point (city and country). Thomas H. Watiington : The bluebird and house- 

 martin attempt to reclaim their nesting sites. I have seen some fighting, but as yet 

 the martins appear to hold their boxes against all opposition. I have not noticed 

 that any other birds are molested as yet. (September 20, 1886. Present about eleven 

 years.) 



Iowa. — Bellevue. Dr. Lawrence Millar : I saw a pair of chickadees drive a pair of 

 Sparrows from their nesting place in an old apple tree in my garden. Warblers, the 

 chipping sparrow, the bluebird, and yellow finch are molested or driven away by the 

 Sparrow. (October 24, 1886. Present about ten years.) 



Davenport. Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences, per W. H. Pratt, curator; 

 As far as can be determined in this locality, it has had very little influence in driving 

 off our native birds; it perhaps interferes somewhat with the bluebird. (April 20, 

 1887. Present about seventeen years.) 



Grinnell. John Houghton: The wren, bluebird, martin, blue jay, and robin re- 

 sist the Sparrow with varied success. I have seen battles for nesting places between 

 the Sparrow and the wren, bluebird, and martin. In addition to the above, the gold- 

 finch, oriole, and golden-crowned kinglet are molested, but I do not think the Spar- 

 row is abundant enough here to expel any native birds yet. (October 6, 1886. Pres- 

 ent about two years.) 



