270 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



purple martiu, robin, cherry bird, chipping sparrow, white-bellied swallow, gold- 

 finch, and song sparrow. (February 29, 1884. Present fifteen years or more.) 



Holyolce. F. H. Metcalf : Bluebirds, wrens, and martins generally attempt to drive 

 it away from some nesting- places, but the Sparrows are too numerous. I have seen 

 one wren at the door of a bird-house successfully resist the attack of nine Sparrows. 

 She then tore the Sparrow's m-st to pieces. Bluebirds generally give in to the Spar- 

 row. It molests the robin, bluebird, wren, orioles, vireos, song, field, Savanna, and 

 other sparrows, grass finch, and martin. The latter is becoming extinct, I believe, 

 from this cause. (August 23, 1886.) 



Medford. John Ayers: I never saw it assail birds of other varieties, but have often 

 seen them fight among themselves. I have heard many persons repeat the current 

 stories of their driving off native birds, but have never seen a person who could name 

 any kind that sufferel from them. Certainly the robins are as abundant as ever, and 

 peck and destroy my peaches, pears, and grapes as usual. (May 29, 1884. Present 

 twelve or fifteen years.) 



Behoboth (country). F. H. Carpenter : A small colony of martins has driven away 

 three pairs of Sparrows from their box each spring since 1882. The Sparrow has 

 driven off the white-bellied swallow. (August 21, 1886. Present about seven years.) 



Somerset. Elisha Slade : The chipping sparrow, goldfinch, purple finch, bluebird, 

 white-bellied swallow, and summer yellow bird have retired before the pugnacious, 

 quarrelsome exotic, and in some cases have almost entirely disappeared irom around 

 the house, barn, and orchard. (October 19, 1885.) 



I do not know of any non-predatory bird which habitually attacks the Sparrow 

 unless itself first attacked, and even when attacked the defense is usually unsuccess- 

 ful. I know of one successful instance, however. A pair of white-bellied swallows 

 having possession of a box, their nest built and eggs laid, were attacked by a pair of 

 English Sparrows, and the swallows bravely resisted the attack and compelled the 

 Sparrows to retreat. In less than half an hour the Sparrows returned, accompanied 

 with six other Sparrows to aid them, and commenced an assault. The swallows 

 fought hard in defense of their home and won the battle of the brave, though only 

 two to eight. (August 20, 1886. Present about twelve years.) 



Taunton. II. G. White : It takes possession of all available places in the city, and as 

 it commences to breed as early as March (March 12, 1884), it has full control of the 

 boxes put up for the accommodation of bluebirds and white-bellied swallows before 

 these reach their summer homes. Consequently these birds leave their old haunts to 

 find new breeding places, and few birds except Sparrows are seen in the city. * * * 

 For a number of years it has been my habit to place an elevated platform in the 

 garden, on which the birds might feed when snow covered the ground. Formerly 

 j uncos and tree sparrows were there all day in flocks of twenty or twenty -five, but 

 for the last three winters their numbers have grown "beautifully loss," and this year 

 they have only been in the garden twice, while Sparrows are as abundant as juncos 

 used to be. (February 25, 1886.) 



Tyngsboro (country). C. W. Swallow: I found a nest of the English Sparrow in a 

 dead apple-tree limb May 16, 1884. Under the nest was a dead white-bellied swallow^, 

 which had evidently been killed by the Sparrow. The Sparrows are quarrelsome, 

 especially with bluebirds and white-bellied swallows. (March 29, 1887.) 



Michigan.— Allegan. Rev. D. D. Chapin : The smaller birds generally, which are 

 wont to nest about houses and yards, are molested or driven away. The goldfinch 

 suffers in particular. (October 30, 1836.) 



Corunna. Dr. C. T. Armstrong: It drives away or kills all song-birds and other 

 desirable birds— robins, orioles, tana go rs, song sparrows, bluebirds, phcobes, and even 

 the pugilistic martins. (November 1, 1866. Present about live years.) 



Elk Rapids. Jas. E. Rankin: It has frequent battles with the robin and chippy- 

 bird, and the bluebird seems to be driven back, but the house martin retains its own 

 nesting place, (October 18, 1885. Present about six years.) 



