330 Reports of the Honorary Consulting Entomologist. 
other attacks caused by sucli insect pests as can only crawl up 
the trees, especially Weevil attacks of some of the commonly 
very destructive kinds of which the season will soon be coming 
on. In the fruit-growing counties where these were injurious 
last year it would be well to be on the alert, and all necessary 
information will be given on application. 
Some of the most important inquiries towards the close of last 
year have been as to the desirableness of setting up Sparrow 
Clubs, for the destruction of small birds. 
I have pointed out that there are many kinds of these smaller 
birds which do good by clearing eggs, caterpillars, and insects 
to an extent which we should miss very seriously if these birds 
were destroyed ; but at the same time I have submitted, as my 
own personal opinion, that it was likely to cause great harm to 
raise the numbers viucli above the average, as is managed in 
some localities by special protection, nesting boxes, and various 
measures reported relatively to starlings, titmice, and other 
small wild birds. 
In many (or most) cases birds are only partial insect feeders, 
and, failing these, take what they can get ; but in the special 
instance of the sparrow (^Passer domesticus), the damage caused 
by the flocks which sweep down in autumn on the ripe corn is 
so great near the shelter where these birds congregate, that it far 
more than counterbalances the benefit of any caterpillar-destroy- 
ing by them in spring ; and from my personal observations of 
the havoc they cause in wheat, and from the reports of the 
nature of the food within them, I believe that this special bird 
is a crop-pest which requires serious attention in the different 
places where its numbers have ohvioushj increased greatly in the 
last few years. 
It is not enough considered in regard to the indiscriminate 
encouragement of birds that much of our protection from crop 
insects is from other insects which feed on them. An enormous 
number — several thousands of kinds — live in this way, and are 
constantly at work in places where no bird could help us. There- 
fore, where birds make a general clearance, including carnivorous 
beetles and grubs, parasitic flies, as Ichneumons and others, or 
(as I have one note of with regard to the starling) even the lady- 
bird, they are not wholly beneficial. 
I have, therefore, submitted that, although where great flocks 
of sea gulls, rooks, titmice, or other birds suddenly appear, 
following the plough, or on pasture land, or trees, they should 
not be molested, for they would clear off the special insect 
attack, and leave ; yet, for everyday work, the most prudent 
course is neitlicr to raise or lower by artificial measures what 
is generally pretty well known as the average amount, espe- 
