THE PEST OF ENGLISH SPARROWS 



951 



to go under it. The best time for trap- 

 ping is just after a snowstorm, when the 

 birds have been fasting. Then, if the 

 ground be cleared and chaff and grain 

 be put under the trap, the birds will 

 crowd in and enable the trapper to se- 

 cure nearly all of the local flock, li any 

 escape they will spread the fear of traps, 

 and before long very few of the birds 

 can be induced to go into one. 



Sparrows are accustomed to feed in 

 close flocks, and when thus assembled a 

 large number can be killed by a charge 

 of No. lo shot. The best way is to scat- 

 ter grain over long, narrow areas and 

 shoot the sparrows at these baiting 

 places. Where sparrows infest poultry 

 yards, the bait may be placed on a hori- 

 zontal board, supported at such an ele- 

 vation that the birds can be shot without 

 danger to the poultry. 



Since English sparrows are a pest and 

 a reduction of their numbers is important 

 on economic grounds, there would seem 

 to be no reason why the birds, when 

 trapped or shot, should not be utilized 

 for food in this country, as they have 

 been in the Old World for centuries. 

 Their flesh is palatable and nutritious, 

 and in city restaurants they are often 

 served under the name of reed birds. 



Where the use of poison is not pro- 

 hibited by law, it may be effectively used 

 to reduce the number of sparrows. Of 

 the different poisons tested, the most 

 satisfactory is strychnia sulphate. It is 

 easily prepared and acts quickly. Wheat 

 has proved to be a good bait, as well as 

 an excellent vehicle for administering 

 the poison. The grain should be regu- 

 larly supplied at the baiting stations until 

 the birds have become accustomed to re- 

 sort to the place. A good time to put 

 it out is early morning, as the birds are 

 sure to be hungry for breakfast. The 

 capacity of the sparrow's crop and 

 stomach is about 30 kernels of wheat, 

 varying according to size of the kernels. 



In deciding the amount of poisoned 

 wheat to put out at one time, it is well 

 to estimate the number of sparrows fre- 

 quenting a feeding place and to allow 

 about 20 kernels for each sparrow. 



perspective: and sectionai, drawings 

 oe an improvised nestlng-box for 

 the interior oe buildings 



Although 2 kernels of wheat coated with 

 the solution described below have been 

 known to kill a sparrow, 6 or 7 kernels 

 are required to insure fatal results. Only 

 as much poison should be put out as is 

 likely to be eaten in one day, as exposure 

 to moisture reduces its virulence. Fur- 

 thermore, sparrows that take less than a 

 fatal quantity, or that become frightened 

 by the death of comrades, will forsake 

 a feeding place if poison is kept there 

 constantly. It is better, therefore, to 

 supply unpoisoned wheat after each poi- 

 soning until the birds have recovered 

 confidence. An important advantage in 

 having several feeding grounds is that 

 they may be used in rotation, the spar- 

 rows forgetting their fear of one while 

 the others in turn are receiving poison. 



