BIRDS. 
7 
to tlie young ones, but is, in my opinion, by no means a staple article 
of diet. If it were so the great numbers of Sparrows often seen about 
farm-buildings would soon strip the garden fruit trees and farm crops of the 
superabundance of insects; but the fact that crops are repeatedly 
destroyed by insects in one state or another where Sparrows abound 
is sufficient proof to me that they are not our friends. As soon as the 
grains of corn begin to swell and become milky, the Sparrows flock to 
the fields and commit such havoc as alone is enough to make the 
farmer demand their extermination. It is not what they eat so much 
as what they destroy that is so annoying. 
“ I took measures last spring to reduce their numbers about my 
farm, and I think with very beneficial results.” 
Mr. W. J. Goodwin, writing from Crouch, near Sevenoaks, ex¬ 
presses satisfaction at the bird question being opened, as it has been 
stated that the numbers of small birds are decreasing, whereas the 
numbers are alarmingly on the increase ; and in the parish of Mere- 
worth and others some acres of Currants and Gooseberries have had 
to be grubbed up solely in consequence of Sparrows, Linnets, and 
Chaf&nclies plucking out the buds and the insides of the blossoms. 
“ Boys and men have to be employed with guns and rattles to get any 
fruit produced at all. I can refer you to a dozen of the largest fruit 
growers in Kent in support of the statement. 
“It is thought to be principally occasioned by the birds being too 
dense, and thus not getting enough of their usual food.” 
The destruction of buds by small birds is often stated to be with a 
view of getting at small caterpillars or grubs within, which it is also 
stated (in a general way) would have destroyed the buds even if the 
bird had not taken them. On this point there may be a good deal of 
doubt, and I can say from my own experiment that, having had my 
Gooseberry bushes greatly injured, especially in 1883, by the buds 
being taken, that this year (that is in the spring of 1884) I had them 
well covered with lines of white wool. In consequence of this the 
birds let the buds alone, and a magnificent crop of Gooseberries and 
good foliage on the bushes followed. 
The following observations by Col. Bussell convey so much plain 
information, together with sound reasoning that all may prove for 
themselves, that I give extracts at some length as meeting many of 
our difficulties, and placing the subject in a clear light* :— 
“ The question whether Sparrows are useful to the farmer is easily 
decided ; they never go far from houses and roads into the fields except 
at certain times of the year for the sole purpose of eating the corn, as 
may be proved by examining the contents of their crops. 
* The extracts were taken mainly from a paper read by Col. Bussell before the 
Essex Field Club in 1882, 
