A REVISED CREED. 
117 
nearly girdled the tree. Their movements have caused 
great excitment amongst the sparrows, who have gathered 
in numbers on the branches to watch operations. Evident¬ 
ly, they were impressed with the idea that the sapsuckers 
got something that they themselves didn’t get, and they 
were bound to find out what it was. By and by some of 
them would perch very near the feaster and “squack” at 
him, as if to say, “what yer got there?’’ Receiving no re¬ 
ply, they would try to alight on the bark, usually without 
success, their claws not being adapted to clinging to so 
smooth a surface nor their tails for bracing themselves 
against the trunk. Occasionally, however, some of the 
holes would be so near a branch, that they could reach it 
with their bills. Then they would dip in as deep as they 
could, to get at that sweet morsel within. Apparently, 
they did not derive much satisfaction so far as feeding was 
concerned, but I think they experienced the joy of endeav¬ 
or, if nothing more. 
In regard to the usefulness of the English sparrow., I 
will leave that question to the Department of Agriculture. 
The question of their extermination, I will commend to 
philanthropists, deprecating, by the way, the custom of 
encouraging small boys to assist in the slaughter. My con¬ 
tention is simply that the misdeeds of Passer domesticus 
have been grossly exaggerated and he has been the victim 
of an unreasoning prejudice. Accordingly, I would revise 
my creed about him, so that it will read something in this 
fashion : ‘ ‘I believe the so-called English sparrow to be an 
interesting member of the sparrow family ; that he has a 
right to live, and that he is a nuisance only in localities 
where he has been permitted to increase to overwhelming 
numbers. I further believe that his undue increase may 
be prevented by merciful methods, and that in the course 
of time he will encounter natural checks to overbreeding, 
