82 
and fearless that it would not leave, hut stood up trying to 
reach the bird, like a dog begging for a bone. 
Mr. LL H. Dewey writes from New Lenox, Berkshire 
County, as follows : “ Last summer I had occasion to ob- 
serve a nest of small yellow birds in a willow bush near 
where I milked my cows. One morning, as I was milking, 
I heard several of the old birds making a great noise of dis- 
tress, and on going near the nest I discovered a chipmunk 
just swallowing one of the young ones which had been 
hatched about three days. The chipmunk escaped, and on 
going to the nest I found only one of the four left. I heard 
the cries of the old ones early the next morning,' and on 
hurrying to the nest I saw the last young bird being swal- 
lowed whole by the chipmunk, which again made its es- 
cape. I have for a number of years been suspicious of the 
little animals doing great damage to either the young birds 
or the eggs, but have never been able to catch one in the 
act before.” 
It seems improbable that the chipmunk actually swallowed 
a young bird whole, but it may have stowed it away in its 
large cheek-pouches, for convenience in carrying it off. It 
is probable that only certain individuals among squirrels 
molest birds. Such individuals must be killed by those who 
would protect the birds. 
The English Sparrow. — Many people consider this the 
most destructive of all the natural enemies of birds, and it 
may be so, in and near the cities, with the possible excep- 
tion of the cat. The story of how this bird was introduced 
here, invading the cities and villages, destroying the native 
birds or driving them out into the country, was told long 
ago . 1 Much might be added to it from my own experience 
and that of correspondents, but lack of space forbids. 
There are some localities in the country to which the spar- 
row has not penetrated, and it has seemed to me that it was 
hardly holding its own for the past few years, especially in 
eastern Massachusetts, where in some sections sparrows are 
not so numerous as in the past, and the native birds are 
1 “ The English Sparrow in North America,” Walter B. Barrows, Bulletin I., Division 
of Economic Ornithology and Mammology, United States Department of Agriculture. 
