THE SPARROW PEST.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2258, 19 October 1889, Page 2

THE SPARROW PEST.

The formers and fruit-growers m this county have had only too much experi- { ence of the depredations of the ? various species of imported small birds of which the sparrow is the worst offender, because of his facility for multiplication. Consequently the several Road Boards and the County Council are doing their best to keep down the pegfc, and it is due to the efforts thus put forth that it has been prevented from working the mischief which otherwise must have been caused. Yet the efforts of the governing bodies can never be effectual unless there is persistent and organised effort on, the part of farmers generally, and m order to this it is necessary that those who contend that the sparrows do more good than harm and there are persons who hold this view — should be convinced of their error. Tha sparrow is credited by such persons i with destroying insects which, but for him, it is said would multiply so exceedingly as to be a worse evil than the small birds are, and also with preventing, to a large extent, the spread of weeds by consuming their seeds. Well, now let us see what ground there is for this contention, which is, we think, quite a mistaken one. The opportunity of doing J this is afforded by a report, which has recently been issued by the division of Economic Ornithology and Mammalogy of the United States Department of Agriculture, upon the sparrow m North America, especially m its relations to agriculture. The Department it appears issued 5000 copies of a circular to | farmers and fruit-growers asking for the I results of practical experience, and m response to that iuviuiiou received no less 8500 replies. A large proportion j of these consisted m mere categorical answers m the affirmative or negative to the questions propounded m the circular referred to, but over five hundred of the replies give more or less detailed accounts of facts ascertained by careful observation. Among these 265 charge the sparrow with doing damage to bads, blossoms, and foliage either by eating or wanton destruction, or through roosting or nesting m the trees m large numbers. As to the offset of its alleged inseotivorous habits, it is shown m the report as the result of a careful examination by Professor Riley of the contents of the stomachs of 522 birdß, that "wheat was found m 22, oats m 82, maize m 71, fruit seeds (mainly mulberries) m 2.7, grass seeds m 103, weed seed m 85, undetermined vegetable matter m 219, bread, rice, etc., m 19, noxious infl&sts m 47, beneficial inserts m 60, insects of no economic importance m 31." Professor Riley adds, " When it is considered that during the vety year m whioh most of these birds so examined were shot m the neighborhood of Washington, the shade trees there were suffering from several insect defoliators, and that out of the four different species but two wore taken by the sparrows, there can be no more eloquent comment on the birds' usefulness m protecting vegetables from inßect injury. Not a single specimen of tho imported elm-leaf beetle, the bag worm, or the white marked tussock moth was taken m any stage." As to tha mischief wrought by these birds to the fruit-grower we road that « m the grape growing districts, notably m Cali fornia, the sparrow does so much harm to the grapes that unless steps are taken to wipe out the pest at the earliest possible moment, the result probably will entail a Joss tg th,e Sta|e of m,any thousands, if not millions pf dollars." Further it is shown that the sparrow besides doing a great deal of mischief directly, also exercises a harmful influence by driving away birds which are purely insectivorous, as for instance swallows, by usurping their nesting places, Altogether the report referred to appears to he a very conclusive indictment as to passer domcßticus as they know that troublegome little fellow m America. As to his doings, m New Zealand there is only too much evidence against him, especially at harvest time. It is to be hoped, therefore, that every method will be employed to compass the destruction both of old and young birds, and as the present is the nesting season the boys will dogood service to the country, besides providing thomselves with pocket-money, by collecting as large a number of eggs as possible.