The Chronicle LEVIN: SATRDAY. SEPT. 1916. SPARROW POLSNING.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 23 September 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN: SATRDAY. SEPT. 1916. SPARROW POLSNING.

A diit*; i\h : cli agricultiir'sts n«'i' to the rVr a.s well ji.-s to lluunselves is to cooperate ill the annual spa' r.nv pi:sening cffori that is now in progress tin onLthcut the llorowhonun County. Hi - spin row. if al'owe I 10 multiply unchecked, becomes u causv.of jircat ir.oni't ry la.-s ;tii .'i of ge.ieral ;innoyance awcll. The bill lor liv, upkeep uni.s into thousands of pounds annually (for this county atone). hut Ms his exactions (i i]: e the customs dures) operate iusidious'v the average hot tier remains unperturbed by them. Xone the less. lis pro-ence ill his n" orolific numbers is a .'evioils matter for this district. and it is highly desirable tint the endeavour now being mad.'.' for hv" repression should he sustained for at least another year: for there ha.s been a ni< ot marked increase in his numbers this season, and with a new breeding hereon of seven mouths' durat'on about to set in. there seen s .surety that he will be numerous llext year also. There are many better birds than the sparrow to carry on the useful work that he doe> do for agriculturists : and. it is a fact well proven bv ornithologists that a diminution in the number of sparrows always lun its offset in an men ase of more desirable birds: f"r the sparrow is :i feathered bully who cows and debases the bird= of hi* own mho. and even some of bigger size. One, the linnet, has practically disappeared from amongst New Zeal ind's imported birds: the only .sign of him that we have seen in recent years has been in tin form of a hybrid .-pirrow with wines of mottled slate-and-ye'low.