40 
BIRDS. 
confirms (if confirmation is needed) the view that Rape-cake acts by 
fertilising and helping the plant-growth, and also drawing away the 
Wire worms from the plant, but not by injuring the Wireworms. 
BIRDS. 
Depredations of Sparrows ; Food of Birds generally, &c.* 
During the past season I have received a good many communi¬ 
cations relatively to encouragement or destruction of birds. Some 
correspondents take one view, some the opposite one of the subject; 
but I would submit that it is quite impossible to gain any well-based 
views on the matter from only a few observations of the apparent 
habits of solitary specimens of the living birds. 
We need either to have observations of their habits in such numbers 
as will show surely what kind they are, and what they are doing, or 
to have observations taken of the contents of the crop throughout the 
year , as the diet may very probably be different at the different 
seasons. 
With regard to the common Sparrow, I believe, from observations 
in some of our standard works (which are given after the following 
notes for comparison), also from other reports or personal observations, 
and also from the strongly expressed opinion of Mr. J. A. Lintner 
(State Entomologist for New York State, U.S.A.), who mentions, in 
his remedies for insect depredations, “Levy a war of extermination on 
that unmitigated nuisance, the English Sparrow”;—for all these 
reasons I believe Mr. Lowe’s observations to be hardly, if at all, over¬ 
stated as to enormous damage being caused by the great increase of 
this special bird. 
Mr. Ralph Lowe, writing from Sleaford, Lincolnshire, draws 
attention to the great increase in number of these birds, and mischief 
caused by them both from their attacks to the com and by reason of 
their driving away other small birds which are serviceable insect- 
feeders. Mr. Lowe states :— 
“ The Sparrow has increased greatly during the last ten years ; 
great packs of them swoop down on the Wheat fields, destroying 
more than they consume, spilling it over the ground. Every piece of 
Wheat which I saw this year has had more Corn destroyed by Sparrows 
than would pay one rent at least. .... If there are as many 
Sparrows in other parts of the country as there are in Lincolnshire 
most certainly one million pounds sterling would not repay the occu¬ 
piers of land for the yearly loss sustained by the depredations of this 
* As the above observations refer most to depredations of the Sparrow on Wheat, 
I have placed them under the heading of “ Corn,” &c., though the question of what a 
amount of bird-presence is desirable refers to all our crops. 
