444 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
]\ray  21,  1903. 
New  Cactus  Dahlia,  Etna. 
This  variety  teas  described  on  page  425  last  %ceek.  The  colour  is  light 
lilac.  Messrs.  J.  Strediiick  and  Son,  of  St.  Leonards,  are  the  raisers. 
the  tree  sparrow  (Passer  niontanus,  L.).  The  latter  is  a  nnich 
rarer  and  more  locally  distributed  species,  somewhat  smaller  in 
size,  with  two  white  bars  across  its  wings  instead  of  one,  as  in  the 
house  sparrow.  The  male  house  sparrow  has  a  white  patch  on  its 
cheek  or  side  of  its  head ;  in  the  tree  sparrow  the  white  cheek 
has  a  black  triangular  patch  on  it.  The  tree  sparrow  is  of  small 
economic  importance  comparetl  with  the  other. 
The  nest  of  the  house  sparrow  is  placed  in  all  sorts  of  situa¬ 
tions :  exposed  in  trees  and  shrubs,  in  holes  in  hayyicks,  thatch, 
walls  and  trees,  in  rain-water  pipes,  under  the  eaves  of  houses, 
in  ivy-clad  walls,  and  in  the  nests  of  the  house  martin  and 
swallow.  It  is  rarely  found  more  than  a  mile  or  so  from  human 
dwellings,  and  is  usually  made  of  straw,  hay,  or  dried  grasse.s, 
more  or  less  in  the  form  of  an  oval  ball  with  an  opening  into  it 
at  the  side.  Five  or  six  eggs  are  laid,  of  a  bluish-white  ground 
colour,  variously  blotched  or  speckled  with  brownish  or  blackish 
markings.  The  nest  of  the  hedge  sparrow,  on  the  other  hand,  is 
open,  and  composed  of  plants,  roots,  and  moss,  lined  with  hair 
or  wool,  while  the  eggs  are  blue  in  colour. 
Each  pair  of  birds  may  rear  two  or  three  broods  during  the 
summer,  which  accounts  for  the  rapidity  of  increase  when  un¬ 
molested  in  districts  where  food  is  plentiful.  Any  attempt  to 
reduce  this,  or  any  other  living  pest  capable  of  rapid  reproduc¬ 
tion,  must  be  thorough  and  must  embrace  the  whole  of  the 
district  infested.  It  is  of  little  use  to  kill  the  sparrows  in  one 
locality,  if  they  are  allowed  to  multiply  in  surrounding  parishc'.s. 
Not  only  should  sparrows  be  destroyed  round  villages  and 
hamlets,  but  attention  to  every  isolated  farmyard  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  is  essential.  Sparrows  left  to  multiply  on  one  or  two 
farms  in  a  district  soon  spread  over  the  neighbouring  areas. 
The  particular  methods  for  lessen¬ 
ing  the  number  of  sparrows  are  very 
numerous.  Eggs  and  nests  may  be 
destro3md  in  the  breeding  season. 
Various  forms  of  nets  may  be  em¬ 
ployed  on  dark  nights,  around  ricks  or 
ivy-clad  houses  where  the  birds  roost. 
Shooting  Avith  small  shot  during  winter 
is  useful.  In  all  cases  great  care  must 
be  exercised  to  prevent  other  birds 
suffering  along  with  sparrows.  As  in¬ 
dividual  private  effort  can  have  but  a 
slight  effect,  the  Avork  of  lessening  the 
sparroAv  plague  in  a  distinct  is  best 
carried  out  by  the  formation  of  a 
SparroAV  Club. 
The  object  to  be  attained  should  bo 
made  clearly  knoAvn  to  all  who  join  it. 
Anj^thing  like  indiscriminate  destruc¬ 
tion  of  small  birds  in  general  should 
be  .strenuously  avoided,  the  object 
being  merely  to  reduce  the  numbers  of 
the  house  sparroAv.  Ever,A'  encourage¬ 
ment  should  be  given  to  the  protection 
of  all  other  small  birds,  unless  there 
are  obvious  reasons  for  including  other 
species  than  the  sparroAv  in  the  black 
list.  Very  frequently  it  is  found  that 
rats  can  be  dealt  Avith  at  the  same  time 
as  sparroAvs. 
The  folloAving  may  be  taken  as  a 
scheme  of  rules,  AA’hich  can  be  amended 
or  curtailed  according  to  the  require¬ 
ments  of  the  district :  — 
Rule  1.  The  name  of  the  club  .shall 
be  “  The . and  District 
SparroAv  [and  Rat]  Club,”  and  include.s 
the  parishes  of . 
Rule  2.  The  club  shall  consist  of 
subscribers  or  honorar.v  members  and 
Avorking  members.  The  annual  sub¬ 
scription  of  an  honorary  member  shall 
be  not  less  than  5s.  [or  2s.  6d.],  that  of 
a  working  member  Is.  Honorary  mem¬ 
bers  shall  be  exempt  from  ’bringing 
heads. 
Rule  3.  Houso  .sparrows  and  rats 
only  to  be  decreased.  Each  sparroAv 
shall  count  one  point,  each  rat  two 
points. 
Rule  4.  Each  working  member 
.shall  send  in  during  the  year  birds  or 
rats  representing  not  less  than  300 
points  before  he  is  entitled  to  share  in 
the  division  of  the  prize  funds. 
Rule  5.  No  birds  or  rats  shall  count 
unless  they  are  taken  in  the  parishes 
mentioned  in  Rule  1.  Any  member 
infringing  this  rule  shall  be  fined  6s. 
Rule  6.  Members  found  .smoking  in 
stackyards  or  on  any  premises  whilst 
catching  sparrows  or  rats,  or  loading 
shot-guns  with  ordinary  paper  instead  of  stout  AA-ads,  shall  bo 
discjualified  for  all  prizes. 
Rule  7.  The  balance  at  the  end  of  the  season  shall  be  divided 
among  the  AA'orking  members  according  to  the  total  number  cf 
points  obtained  during  the  year. 
Rule  8.  Collectors  shall  be  appointed  in  various  parts  of  tho 
district  to  receiA'e  and  destroy  heads  of  birds  [and  tails  of  rats] 
once  a  Aveek,  at  a  time  fixed  to  meet  the  conA^enience  of  the  Avork¬ 
ing  members. 
Rule  9.  An  annual  meeting  shall  be  held  at . in 
Maj’  or  June,  at  Avhich  the  accounts  .shall  be  audited,  the  funds 
diA'ided  in  accordance  Avith  Rule  7,  officers  appointed  for  the  suc¬ 
ceeding  season,  and  any  other  business  connected  AA'ith  the  club 
transacted. 
A  club  in  Kent,  Avorked  along  the  lines  indicated  aboAm,  Avith 
less  than  twenty  Avorking  members,  destroj'ed  during  the  last 
three  seasons  OA'er  28,000  sparrows  and  more  than  16,000  rats  in  a 
comparatiA’ely  small  area  with  obviously  useful  effect.  The 
annual  prize-money  amounted  to  a  little  over  £6  per  annum. 
If  such  cluhs  could  be  instituted,  and  their  Avork  carried  out 
systematically  for  three  or  four  seasons  throughout  the  country, 
there  Avould  he  a  great  improvement  in  increased  crops  on  farms 
and  gardens,  while  martins  and  other  insect-feeding  .species  of 
birds  Avould  have  a  better  chance  to  increase. 
[The  Board  of  Agriculture  Avould  be  glad  if  recipients  of  this 
leaflet  would  make  it  known  to  others  interested  in  the  .subject. 
C'cpies  may  be  obtained  free  of  charge  and  post  free  on  applica¬ 
tion  to  the  Secretary,  Board  of  Agriculture,  4,  Whitehall  Place, 
London,  S.W.  Letters  of  application  so  addressed  need  not  be 
stamped.] 
