300 THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA. 



Richmond. Col. Randolph Harrison: My belief is that they do not consume in- 

 sects to any great extent, though they may destroy larvre. I have seen caterpillars 

 in elm trees in vast numbers, and the Sparrows, as I believe, did not touch them. I 

 saw one with a live butterfly in his mouth — the ouly instance of its insect-eating I 

 have known. (August 20, 1886.) 



West Virginia. — Buckhannon. Dr. J. R. Mathers : It has been of marked benefit in 

 destroying the eggs of the tent caterpillar and eating the green cabbage-worm. (Au- 

 gust 19, 1886. Present about five years. ) 



Hicl'ory. J. H. Shank : I have recently learned that they are very destructive to 

 the cabbage-worm, the larva of Pieris rapa\ (November 22, 1886.) 



Leon. G. W. Knapp : The Sparrow does not eat caterpillars, for there have been 

 some on my grape-vines and pear trees not 20 yards from Sparrows' nests. (Sep- 

 tember 21, 1887.) 



Wisconsin. — Milwaukee. Walter B. Hull : It feeds upon insects when no grain is 

 to be had. I have seen it feed on grasshoppers, but not often, and can not say what 

 insects it eats. It seldom eats animal food. (August 23,1886. Present about six 

 years.) 



Milwaukee. Charles Keeler: It generally feeds upon caterpillars wheu they are 

 plenty. It destroys canker-worms somewhat, but before the Sparrow was introduced 

 no complaints were made about canker-worms. Spiders are also eaten. (August 21, 

 1886. Present about fifteen years.) 



Sioughton. Z. L. Welnian : It has been of marked benefit in the destruction of 

 grasshoppers and the like, and has been seen feeding upon a species of katydid when 

 this insect was abundant in the shade trees. (December, 1886. Present about ten 

 years,) 



CANADA. Ontario.— Belleville. Prof. James T. Bell : It benefits the farmer and 

 horticulturist a little by eating iusects. 1 have noticed it feeding its young with 

 small green caterpillars on the apple trees behiud my house. It eats the iusects it 

 finds on the streets. I have noticed it feeding on Harpalus vagaus and other Carabidce, 

 catching ichenumou flies and lace wings ou the wing, and attempting to catch butter- 

 flies. August 17, 1886.) 



In justice to the little rascal I must state that Mr. Richard Elvius, a rather ex- 

 tensive market gardener of this city, informs me that some four years ago his cabbages 

 were badly infested with the caterpillars of the white cabbage butterfly, and he was 

 afraid that he should lose the larger part of his crop. One day, however, a company 

 of Sparrows swooped down upon the plants and cleared the insects completely off 

 them, so that he cut a remunerative crop in due season. (September 2, 1886.) 



Belleville. William N. Ponton : As regards insects, I assert most postively that 

 when the Sparrow can get grain it will not touch anything else. (September 27, 

 1884.) 



Hamilton. Thomas Mcll wraith : I have seen them take moths, caterpillars, and 

 spiders, and they also feed their young on them. (March 10, 1884. Present about ten 

 years.) 



Listowel. William L. Kells : We have seen it catching crickets, grasshoppers, and 

 May bugs, and carryiug green caterpillars to its P young. (June 23, 1884, and August 

 23,1886.) 



Ottawa. H. B. Small: I have seen it carrying the codling moth to its young and 

 it also takes them worm? and grubs. (May 5, 1884. Present about fourteen years.) 



Ottawa. W. L. Scott : I dissected a young Sparrow in August and found him simply 

 gorged with grasshoppers. Large flocks of these birds, principally youug ones, leave 

 the town for the country in the early autumn, and I have no doubt they feed largely 

 on grasshoppers. The decrease of this insect, which used to be a terrible pest on the 

 Government Square and other lawns about the city, but which during the last few 

 years has almost entirely disappeared, has been attributed, and probably with some 

 truth, to the increasing abundance of the Sparrows. I have seen the Sparrows chase 



