THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



413 



THE HOUSE SPARROW. 



(Passer domes ticus, Linnaeus.) 



By Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod, F.E.S., and Mr. W. B. 

 Tegetmeier, M.B.O.U. 



The sparrow question is one which is still constantly recurring, 

 as it has done for many years, and as it will continue to do, 

 until reliable evidence of the nature of the bird's food is more 

 accessible for general information than it is at present in this 

 country. The mischief that is done by the sparrows is easily 

 observable, but excepting in connection with these noticeable 

 devastations the nature of their food (meaning by this what the 

 adult birds feed on throughout the year, and what the nestlings 

 are fed on) is far from having been as well brought forward as is 

 desirable, and the published records of as much as we know 

 (whether for or against Passer domesticus) are neither as well 

 before the public, nor as accessible to those practically concerned, 

 as it would be well for them to be. 



When, consequent on the very ill-advised introduction by 

 private enterprise of this bird into the United States of 

 America, serious and widespread losses occurred from its 

 destructive habits, an investigation into the nature of its 

 food was set on foot under the direction of the U.S. 

 Board of Agriculture by examination of the contents of many 

 hundreds of sparrows. These were submitted for identification 

 to qualified members of the Ornithological Division, with final 

 reference to Dr. C. V. Riley, the Entomologist of the Depart- 

 ment, and the results were recorded both as to absence and 

 presence of insects, and (where insects were present) their names 

 and the orders to which they belonged were given, together with 

 information as to whether they were of habits helpful or hurtful 

 to the agriculturist, or, as far as was known, neither the one nor 

 the other; and these observations were published.* In this 

 country we have also good work on the subject, including 

 observations and examinations made by known agriculturists, 

 ornithologists, and other qualified investigators, comprising 



* " The Insectivorous Habits of the English Sparrow." By C. V. Eiley, 

 Ph.D. [Extracted from " Bulletin No. I., Div. Ornithology and Mammalogy, 

 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture," entitled " The English Sparrow in America."] 



