Too Many Sparrows

it appears that the detested Enslish sparrow is by no ineuns a genera] favorite iu his own home aoross tüe water, where his habits have been more carefully iioted. In the course of his paper on "Wild Birds, Usef ui and In jurioua, ' ' iu the Royal Agrioultural society's jourual, Mr. C. F. Archibaldsays: "The sparrow has received an overflowing measure of abuse from farmers aud gardeners, and, notwithstauding all that has been urged in its favor by entbnsiastic advocates, there can be little doubt that it deserves a large share of the vituperation bestowed npou it. The keynote to the sparrow's character is to be found in the delusion under which it labors thai corn growing is carried on for its eapecial benefit. Grain is undoubtedly the mainstay of the sparrow. This it obtains iu the fields at seedtime, when sproutiug, iu the unripe, inilky condition, and wheu fully matured. At this last uamed period a quantity of grain is wasted by being shaken out on the ground by the birds, in adiition to the amount actually consumed. At thia time, too, uumbers of sparrows which live for the greater part of the year in towns are tempted to visit the field, their griniy appearance proclaiming their usual haunts. "In gardens the sparrow finds full scope for its destructivo propeusities ia devouring peas, of whioh it is very fond, as well as a few gooseberries and cherries. In the most mischievous way, too, it pulls to pieces the flowers of the crocns, dahlia, primrose, polyanthus, hepática, heartsease, wistaria, the shoots of pinks and carnations, the pods of the laburnum and the blossom of fruit trees. It also does considerable damage to beds of young radishes and lettuces, besides levying toll on the grass seeda sown on lawns. On the other band, it must be freely admitted that the sparrow does a great deal of good. "Among the pests destroyed by the sparrows are wireworms, daddy longlegs, weevils from peas and beans, aphides, caterpillars of various kinds, houseflies, 'blue beetles, ' 'black beetles' and white butterflies. In some districts choviss, othervise known as Maybugs, occasion ally do immense damage, and at such times sparrows have been seen with their mouths crammed full of them. The quality of weed seeds which the sparrow eats must also be placed to its credit, for in this way is helps to suppress such objectionable plants aa charlock, corn bind weed, goosefoot, knotgrass, buttercup, dandelion, chickweed and doek. ' '