268 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



Sidney. G. V. Swearingen: The best and most useful of our smaller birds in this 

 country are whipped, and some of them have nearly disappeared, On my own farm 

 I have seen the pewee, robin, thrush, native sparrows, and others trying to whip 

 the rascals out, but without help from man they all fail. (October 8, 1886. Present 

 four or hve years.) 



West Liberty. Dr. E. H. King : The Baltimore oriole successfully attacks it wher- 

 ever met. The Sparrow has nearly driven the bluebird, wren, and even the bine 

 j ly from our village, and, with the exception of the oriole, robin, and catbird, it mo- 

 lests all birds which are semi-domestic in their habits. (October 14, 1886. Present 

 about nine years.) 



Kansas. — Burlingame. J. Mayberry : Other birds are less numerous since the ap- 

 pearance of the Sparrow; the wren and bluebird have very sensibly diminished in 

 numbers, and the mockingbird, oriole, and robin are molested or driven away. (Octo- 

 ber 6, 1886. Present about fifteen years.) 



Chanute. S. H. Scott : It fights the cliff swallow, and I have seen it take pos- 

 session of a swallow's nest about the time it was completed. (October 5, 1886. 

 Present less than a year.) 



Fontanel. M. J. Campbell: It molests or drives away the swallow, martin, wren, 

 and robin. The kingbird resists it, but without success. (October 9, 1886. Present 

 less than a year.) 



Manhattan. Dr. Charles P. Blachly: A few English Sparrows came here two or 

 three years ago, at which time there were robins, Baltimore orioles, and orchard ori- 

 oles in considerable numbers. The Sparrows have increased in town, w r hile the 

 others named have decreased, although the opportunities for the increase of the na- 

 tives are much better. I have seen the Sparrows drive away robins and martins. 

 (November, 1885. Present two or three years.) 



Manhattan. Prof. D. E. Lantz: The Sparrow has frequent fights with the robin 

 and some other familiar birds, but is not always victorious, and no birds have been 

 driven away. (September 27, 1886. Present about six years.) 



Morantown. P. J. McGlashan : It has not been known to drive away any of our na- 

 tive birds. This year a small martin box with four holes was reclaimed by the mar- 

 tins, except one hole, which w r as retained and occupied by the Sparrows. (October 

 15, 1886. Present about eighteen months.) 



Quenemo. Dr. A. R. Bodley : I do not think any bird fears the Sparrow more than 

 other birds. It does no more fighting than the jay, kingbird, or crow-blackbird. I 

 have not kuown it to molest any of our native birds, and I have the jay, crow-black- 

 bird, migrating thrush, bluebird, and cardinal grosbeak all about my house in spring 

 and summer. (October 13, 1886. Present four years.) 



Topeka. F.W.Giles: My opportunities for observing the Sparrow's habits have 

 been most excellent, and I dispute any man who says he knows better of the habits 

 of the bird in Kansas than I do. In the twelve years during which I have been a 

 constant observer of their mingling with native birds I have never seen a case of an- 

 tagonism. The ridiculous complaint of their being quarrelsome toward native birds 

 has prevailed here as at the East. I have many times offered $10 reward for proof of 

 a Sparrow having attacked any other bird, except it were a blue jay or other preda- 

 tory bird destroying their eggs or young. True we have now very few native birds, 

 less than we had twelve years ago, but in what city of thirty thousand inhabitants 

 are native birds abundant? (October 6, 1886. Present twelve years.) 



Kentucky. — Bowling Green (country, three miles from city). W. Cook : It molests 

 and drives aw T ay all other birds, except, perhaps, the bluebird, which sometimes suc- 

 cessfully resists it. (September 2, 1886.) 



Burlesville. W.F.Alexander: It molests the redbird, mockingbird, common spar- 

 row, and snowbird. The bluebird attempts to reclaim its former nesting site. (Oc- 

 tober 27, 1886. Present five or six years.) 



Crescent Hill (subuib of Louisville). Thomas S. Kennedy : The Sparrows same from 



