48 
HISTORY AM) WORK OF THE 
nuich more good in this state that they are given credit for. 
ddiey are splendid scavengers in the cities, are cheerful 
friends during the long, winter months, often being the only 
wild animal life jiresent, and are of little or no annoyance 
(hiring nesting, except where an endeavor is made to attract 
strange birds. In such cases they certainly are troublesome. 
There is absolutely no reason for the killing of these birds in the 
cities, where most of the bounties are collected, and the 
endangering of human life by hobert rides should never be 
tolerated as in the past. 
iNlany persons have a strong prejudice against the Eng- 
lish sparrow, without knowing why. Wdio can look at this 
bird witih the temperature about the zero mark, hopping 
through the snow and chirping as happily as though it were 
a day in June, and say they despise it? They give cheer to 
many and brighten the lives of the disheartened and the ill, 
and afford amusement and inspiration to countless children. 
Of course, it would be unfair to quote the documents of 
the U. S. Biological Survey where it speaks favorably, and 
to ignore their conclusions when adverse to any bird. The 
writer is keeping in mind what the bulletin entitled ‘‘The 
Relations of Sparrows to Agriculture*’ has to say regarding 
the English sparrow as a destroyer of grain. Dr. Judd, of 
the Survey, says that about one‘-third of their food, covering 
several states, consisted of useful grain, taken from farms, 
but he also shows that forty-nine per cent, or about one- 
half its food, consisted of grasshoppers that are harmful. 
That they destroy cut Avorms, fall web- worms, gypsy moths, 
tent caterpillars, tussock moths, and that they are most 
potent in keeping dowm the army-worms. Eurthermore, 
they rid city parks of insects harmful to trees. These things 
are mentioned because many form a prejudice against this 
bird because they think it does no good and much harm. 
At any rate, whatever may be the public attitude towards 
the species. Dr. Judd says, ‘Tt should be borne in mind that 
the bounty system has proved to be only an extravagant 
failure.” The most effective way to destroy this sparrow is 
to break up their homes during the nesting season. This 
has been done in some localities with marked results. One 
or two men in a town could look after this, who know the 
