SPARROWS. 
67 
following observations may well be added. Mr. Gurney’s opinion 
carries great weight, not only as an ornithologist, but (as he himself 
says), “ a lover of birds.” The other observers quoted are also well 
qualified to form opinions, and their observations show that the state 
of things similarly needs attention in widely-separated parts of the 
country ; and Mr. Gaskell’s notes in particular show that by attention 
something can be done to remedy the mischief by united effort in 
country localities. 
On May 29th, Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., of Nortlirepps, Norwich, 
wrote as follows :—“ I do not look on the Sparrows as the absolute 
pests which some people do, but I think they do enough harm to 
warrant everybody in destroying them. Say one-fifth of good to four- 
fifths of harm is about what they do, take the country all over, though 
at certain times and 'places they do nothing but harm. I have striven to 
say all I could in their favour, being naturally a lover of birds.” 
The following note is from Mr. S. L. Mosley, Beaumont Park, 
Huddersfield, a practical as well as scientific naturalist:— 
“ Corn has suffered from Aphides, but much more from Sparrows 
and other small birds ; some fields are shamefully devastated hy the 
birds. I think there can be little doubt that birds are too numerous. 
In the spring Greenfinches did a great deal of damage to seed-beds, 
especially Cabbage, Turnip, and Mustard. I dissected a good many, 
and always found seeds in them, very rarely any insects.” 
Dr. Chapman, of Hereford, in a letter relative to amount of bird- 
presence in that neighbourhood, observed :—“ We have here a plague 
of Sparrows, which are a nuisance in many ways, and I can say 
practically nothing in their favour.” 
The following remarks from Mr. W. J. Goodwin, Winfield House, 
Crouch, near Sevenoaks, Kent, bear on the point of the damage 
caused by over-supply of small birds generally in fruit grounds :— 
“ With regard to the small bird question (House Sparrows, 
Chaffinches, Green Linnets, &c.), the evil gets worse, as, owing greatly 
to so many mild winters, they have largely increased. I have killed 
hundreds with the crops full of the buds, but it does not seem to 
lessen them one iota. My Bed Currants are eaten frightfully again 
this season, and in another month or so, when the Black Currants 
open the buds and show the bloom, they again do fearful mischief by 
pecking the bloom all to pieces : this I have discovered they do for the 
sake of the sweetness, there being a considerable amount of honey in 
the bloom even before it opens ; but the Bed Currants they peck for 
sheer mischief, as there was a quantity of Wheat all the winter close 
to my trees.” 
Mr. W. Alsebrook, writing from Wollaton, Nottingham, mentions 
Sparrows as being very destructive in the early part of the summer. 
