File:Birds and nature (1905) (14755315532).jpg

Identifier: birdsnature21905chic (find matches)
Title: Birds and nature
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Birds Natural history
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : A.W. Mumford, Publisher
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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d about farms. Even in theirnative, range in the Old World thesebirds are more attached to the vicinityof human habitations than any otherwild bird. Professor Alfred Newtonhas said: One may safely assert thatthey are not known to thrive anywherefar away from the habitations or worksof men, and they follow men when theyestablish new settlements. The United States Department ofAgriculture has made extensive inves-tigations regarding the relation of theEnglish Sparrows to man. As a resultof the examination of over six hundredstomachs it was decided that these birdswere a serious pest. Th<^se investigationsalso showed that the food of the younginstead of being exclusively insectivor-ous, as is the case with the young ofprobably all (^f our native sparrows,fully one-third of their food consistedof grain. Only about two per cent, oftheir food was weed seeds. The remain-der of the food consisted of insects,many of which are of harmful species,but the .-niionnt of strain ihat thcv con- 20J
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FROM ecu. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES 112 ENGLISH -^ -(Passer domesticus).Life-size. sume overbalances the good that theymay do. Dr. Ridgeway has said of theEnglish Sparrow: Concerning this un-mitigated pest we have little to say,further than to bewail the misfortune ofits introduction, and to plead for its ex-termination. It is in every respect afirst-class nuisance. That the English Sparrows habituallyinjure grain crops is not their only fault.In cities they cause considerable injuryto buildings and statues. They are in-jurious to trees and vines in two ways;first, by the destruction of the buds andblossoms, and second, by the chemicalaction of their excrement. Dr. Ridgewaystates that a luxuriant English ivywhich at one time covered portions ofthe Smithsonian Institute was totally de-stroyed in this manner. They injurethe buds and blossoms of peaches, cher-ries, grapes, plums and pears, and it isvery doubtful if any fruit trees escapetheir attacks. It is said that this Spar-row in Europe is

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