282 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



tliis city, a few clays ago gave me the followiug facts in regard to the English Spar- 

 row. It first appeared on his farm in 1885, when two couples came early in the spring 

 and took possession of two swallows' nests under the eaves of his barn. When the 

 swallows returned they set upon the intruders, tore down the nests, and threw the 

 eggs of one couple and the four newly-hatched young ones of the other to the ground, 

 and drove away the parent birds, which appeared no more. 



Early in the preseut year a pair of Sparrows came to the barn, and occupied a nest 

 as before. On the arrival of the swallows, they again attacked the Sparrows with 

 rapid evolutions and shrill twitterings. Next morning Mr. Walker found four par- 

 tially fledged nestlings and the old cock Sparrow lying dead on the ground. The hen 

 bird took refuge in the porch of the dwelling house, where she was fed by the family 

 for a few days, when she also disappeared. (October 4, 1886.) 



Belleville (country). William L. Ponton : The number of other birds (except black- 

 birds) has been much diminished of late years here through the ferocity and persecu- 

 tion of these little marauders, whose pluckiness is worthy of a better cause. (Sep- 

 tember 27, 1884.) 



Cot tarn. W. E. Wagsfcaff: The barn martin alone attempts to reclaim former nest- 

 ing sites when these are occupied by the Sparrow. I have not observed the Sparrow 

 to molest or drive off native birds. (August 28, 1886. Present about six years.) 



Hamilton. TLonias Mcllwraith : No other bird is tolerated where the Sparrows 

 have settled. I have seen them eject swallows, bluebirds, and house wrens from their 

 nests. The robin holds his own by superior strength, but should a casual visitor of 

 smaller size and timid nature appear, the Sparrows leave their own fight unsettled 

 and unite in driving the stranger off the premises. (March 10, 1884. Present about 

 10 years.) 



London. W.E. Saunders : In four years from its introduction it ousted from our house 

 and one house on each side three pairs of robins, two pairs of bluebirds, three pairs of 

 white-bellied swallows, and one pair of wrens. Our city is full of trees, and I have seen 

 orioles, high-holders, jays, redheads, and other similar birds close to the business part 

 of the city before we had this intruder. Now not one is to be seen for every five that 

 were here seven years ago. Then our city was full of barn, eave, and white-bellied 

 swallows, chimney swifts, and martius. They were thick among the stores all day; 

 now only the chimney swifts and martins are left, and they in reduced numbers. 

 The following birds were much more numerous in the city before the advent of the 

 accursed stranger : The chippy, robin, yellow warbler, warbling vireo, wren, blue- 

 bird, white-bellied, eave, and barn swallows, and oriole. (December, 1885.) 



Pembroke. E. Odium: The Sparrows fight fiercely among themselves, but I have 

 not seen them attack other birds, and their nesting does not interfere with them. If 

 there be any interference with any other bird it is with the robin, as it appears to be 

 getting scarcer in Sparrow centers and more general about woods. (August 25, 1886. 

 Present about twelve years.) 



Plover Mills. E. Elliott: I should say that the Sparrow is invariably the aggressor, 

 and all birds molested simply act on the defensive. I have known the phcebe (Saij. 

 ornisfusca) to fight persistently, in two cases unsuccessfully, in one successfully. 



Three years ago (1883) a Sparrow, in the month of March, began to remodel a 

 phcebe's nest; the second week in April the phcebes came, tore some straw out and 

 guarded their home. The fight lasted ten days, when the Sparrows (the first pair at 

 my barn) left. This year, 1886, a pair occupied an old nest of the summer warbler, 

 close to a window. The warblers had been there for four or five years previously, but 

 disappeared this year. 



The eave swallow (lunifrons) often finds its old nest occupied by domesticus, which 

 invariably holds the fort in spite of all the attempts made to dislodge him, but the 

 swallows rebuild, I fancy. The bluebird generally keeps his old quarters. (Septem- 

 ber 6, 1886. Present about five years.) 



