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Am :iHd ' ' p. 3^ft. Poet Royal, Tenn. 
Editor American Field : — The American Field is a 
splendid educator. It has taught me to love the study of 
natural history as dearly as I do dogs, guns and fishing 
rods, and I consider it a duty I owe those who, like myself, 
are lovers of natural history, to make known the results of 
my researches and observations. 
The English sparrow made his advent among us in 1886. 
It is proper to state, however, that these detestable little 
pests made their appearance in larger towns in this part of 
the state several years before the date given above. They 
came to this part of the South from the North in freight 
cars loaded with grain. Whether they were foraging on 
the grain in the cars, and were shut up in them and brought 
here, or whether the migratory instinct prompted them to 
come South, and they beat their way on the cars where there 
was plenty to eat, I do not know. But it is a settled fact 
that they came to this part of the South as mentioned above. 
I would like very much to learn from some of your South- 
ern correspondents the limit of their Southern migrations. I 
was in the Gulf States two years ago and I neither saw nor 
heard of any sparrows south of Nashville, Tenn. The prog- 
ress of these pests South is interesting. The place is in 
latitude 36° 30' N. 
As is known by those conversant with the history of these 
birds, they were imported into New York city in 1852. As 
will appear from the date given of the first arrivals here, 
they were thirty -four years reaching this latitude. They first 
got a foothold in the cities, towns and villages on railroads, 
and then scattered to the more remote country villages. 
They nest there one year, and then take to the rural dis- 
tricts. They first appear on farms where there are houses 
built like those in towns. The reason for this is obvious : 
it is because they can find places in and about such build- 
ings where they can make their nests. Every year they be- 
come more and more numerous. 
This Southern country is destined to be overrun with 
them, for they increase very rapidly. In a few years they 
will swarm about the humble cabin of this region as thickly 
as about the fine country mansion. They have banished 
nearly all of our song birds. If something is not done to 
destroy them by the wholesale they will inflict great dam- 
age on crops and small fruits. As insect destroyers the 
English sparrow is a great humbug. If the sparrow Were an 
insect destroyer this is the country for him to thrive and 
keep fat. This is a tobacco-growing country — tobacco is 
king, like cotton in the Gulf States. When the tobacco 
plants are very small and tender they are devoured by small 
insects. They have inflicted greater damage upon the coun- 
try than the severest drought ever known. But the sparrows 
do not feed upon these insects. The sparrow Is not the 
farmer’s friend ; he is nobody’s friend ; he is a robber, a 
vandal. The sparrows are destined to do great damage to 
the agricultural interests of the South. I cannot see for the 
life of me why farmers do not shoot down every one they 
see about their premises ; they do not appear to realize the 
danger that is in store for them. They increase much faster 
in the South than in the North. I think they raise two 
broods a year with us. The streets of our cities, towns and 
villages are overrun with them, and when they become as 
numerous on our farms the question will be : What are we 
going to do about it ? Birdo. 
THE ENGLISH SPARROW. 
• XXI V S &aA&inn. 
Editor American Field : — The sparrows have come to 
stay ; the city is filled with them ; every nook and crevice 
in the cornices of buildings are occupied by these little 
busy bodies, building their nests ; long strings and straws 
are seen waving from many an ornamental rosette, the 
inner ends of which are woven into the nests which are the 
breeding places of thousands of these little pests. Fight ! 
well, they are the most belligerant feathered rascals I ever 
saw. When they are building their nests they do not hesi- 
tate to attack a flock of pigeons on the wing, and pluck the 
feathers from their bodies for nest-making purposes. These 
birds were first introduced into St. Paul thro ugh three pairs 
imported from New York, about ten years ago. From these 
tens of thousands have been produced and are now found 
in every part of our city. Dr. Sweeny has figured out the 
fecundity of the three sparrows as follows : “On a moder- 
ate basis of four young birds to a sparrow, there would be 
in ten years 6,291,456 sparrows. But we have to deduct 
from that large number casualties, and the aggregate num- 
ber of sparrows is reduced more than 50 per cent. They 
are very hard to kill. I do not think there is much damage 
to be apprehended from them in the country, for they hang 
around human habitations and cities where they are certain 
of getting a good meal.” 
While the sparrow has been persistently and maliciously 
attacked, through the papers, I have not yet convinced my- 
self that they are as bad as painted in regard to driving 
away other birds ; as for insect destroyers, however, I think 
they are a fraud, for they desert the rural districts for the 
city streets, where they feed on scattered grain and pick 
equine droppings. I do not think a song bird would occupy 
the same tree with them ; there would be a fight unto death 
if the city life of a sparrow is any criterion. 
The most disagreeable part of their presence among us 
Is the disfig urement of our buildings by t heir drop pings 
which, in some notable structures, has almost transfigured 
the stone facings into the appearance of streaked slate. 
“There is one thing about the sparrow,” said a gentleman, 
“which is much in his favor. lie is a very good bird to eat. 
I know plenty of people in Western cities, where sparrows 
can be found by the million, who feed frequently on deli- 
cious pot-pies and broils made of house sparrows. They 
eat very clean food, chiefly grain and fruits, and they get 
very fat and plump. If sparrows increase inordinately in 
St. Paul I would recommend people to kill them for the 
table. The cats are eating a good many of the St. Paul 
sparrows every day. I must confess I respect their 
good taste. The cats should not be allowed to capture all 
these delicate morsels.” 
Now, if they won’t destroy insects, if they won’t sing, if 
they won’t do anything but breed by the millions, and if 
they won’t stop fighting and driving away our native song 
birds, our natural insect destroyers, what are they good for ? 
Phil. 
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