EVIDENCE. FROM EUROPEAN PUBLICATIONS. 335 



seeds of weeds, self-set corn, and vermin. I have no doubt (although I can not prove 

 it) that the germs of blight are consumed in winter by small birds, and if they were 

 more common, blight would be less common. 



[The following points were brought out by questioning this witness] : 

 With regard to the blight, it was an increase of blight generally. I can not say as 

 a consequence of the destruction of the Sparrows. I only mentioned that as a coin- 

 cidence; the green caterpillar in the gooseberries was one, and the common cater- 

 pillar in the apple trees. I have had apple trees destroyed by them for two years. I 

 have had the green fly in almost all kinds of plants; the only thing that has not 

 suffered has been the raspberries. * * * I have not seen Sparrows actually eating 

 the green caterpillars off the gooseberry trees. * * * In addition to the Sparrows I 

 destroyed the chaffinch and any kind of seed-eating bird, but not blackbirds and 

 thrushes. (June 12, 1873.) 



[Air. Lewis Fytehe. magistrate.] 



[Page 25.] I have observed Sparrows all my life and I will at least say this, tha^ 

 if you watch the Sparrow you will see one of the most beautiful sights in creation; 

 that is to say, a cock Sparrow, hawking at the white butterfly in the sun. He goes at 

 it just like a hawk after a heron. He kills tens of thousands of the eggs which produce 

 the cabbage caterpillar ; so that instead of taking the caterpillar he takes the evil in 

 the egg. The white butterfly produces the cabbage larva which does so much harm, 

 and I think the Sparrow is most useful in that point of view. (June 12, 1873.) 



[LordLilford.] 



[Page 28.] The Sparrow is mischievous in every way, and is very numerous. Of 

 course he does good by destroying grubs and caterpillars; but I think he does de- 

 cidedly more harm than good. (June 19, 1873.) 



[Prof. Alfred Newton, M. A., F. E, S.] 



[Page 34.] The Sparrow has spread throughout the world, accompanying man in 

 his migrations; he has taken him out to the United States, the Cape of Good Hope, 

 the Island of Mauritius, Australia, and almost every part of the world. * * * In 

 a few years I think some of them will find out their mistake. * * * I think cer- 

 tainly the Sparrow will establish himself, and perhaps any bird that establishes him- 

 self must do^so more or less at the expense of some other bird. (June 19, 1873.) 



| Mr. C. 0. Groome Napier, ornithologist.] 



[Page 47.] I think the Sparrow and wood pigeon are the most objectionable birds 

 we have, on account of their numbers and also because they feed so much, generally 

 on green crops. I think the Sparrow does more harm than good. The balance is de- 

 cidedly against him ; I should condemn him. He does not feed his young entirely on 

 insects even during the first days. Dr. Edward Crisp exhibited before the British 

 Association at Birmingham, iu 1835, a hundred stomachs of young Sparrows, and 

 there was not 5 per cent, that contained any insect food ; I examined them with a 

 lens myself. They were the stomachs of nestlings. The food is almost always a con- 

 siderable portion of grain; iu the case of young Sparrows it is green corn generally. 

 I know from personal observation that the Sparrow takes the place of other and better 

 birds ; I have observed that the warblers and wrens, aud those little birds, have been 

 pushed out of their proper position by the Sparrow. They have been driven away 

 from the locality. The Sparrow supplants them in their nesting places. I have seen 

 the Sparrow often supplant both the house martin and the swallow. I once had a 

 a wallow's nest which was usurped after there were eggs in it by a Sparrow; the Spar- 

 row put in some hay to make the nest rather softer. I believe the Sparrow ate the 

 eggs; they were found broken, at all events, and covered with hay. (June 19, 1873.) 



