The House Sparrow
"Ye are of more value than many sparrows."
THE
HOUSE SPARROW:
by
AN ORNITHOLOGIST,
J. H. GURNEY, Junr.;
by
A Friend of the Farmers,
COLONEL C. RUSSELL;
and
THE ENGLISH SPARROW IN AMERICA,
by
DR. ELLIOTT COUES.
'There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow.'
Hamlet.
LONDON:
WILLIAM WESLEY AND SON,
28, Essex Street, Strand.
PREFACE.
THE publication of this little work on the Sparrow Controversy has occurred thus:
Owing to the great public interest taken in the subject, from the increase in the number of sparrows and their depredations in England, the Colonies and America, some demand had arisen for a pamphlet issued by the United States Government, by Dr. Elliott Coues, an eminent American Ornithologist. As the pamphlet could no longer be obtained from America, it was thought desirable to reprint it. In connection, however, with Dr. Coues' pamphlet, it seemed desirable to print at the same time some account of the sparrow and its depredations in England. With this view, the services of Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., and of Colonel C. Russell were solicited, and kindly rendered, and their contributions form the principal contents of the present little volume. Mr. Gurney is known as an Ornithologist, and the author of works on his favourite science, and has made the House Sparrow a subject of special study. The perusal of his interesting and valuable contribution will supply proofs of this.
Colonel C. Russell, who contributes the second article, has made the Sparrow Question the subject of close investigation for fifteen years, and the results are given in interesting detail and fulness in his Article. Colonel Russell gave evidence of great value on the Sparrow and other birds, before a Select Committee on the Protection of Wild Birds, June, 1873. Colonel Russell, it may be added, cultivates one of the farms on his estate, and is known to many for his valuable contributions to the 'Report of Observations of Injurious Insects and Farm Pests,' by Miss Eleanor A. Ormerod. The publishers also desire to express their thanks to this lady for her kind assistance, without which, one of the following contributions would probably have not been obtained.
Dr. Elliott Coues is one of the most distinguished Ornithologists in America, and is the author of numerous books and articles on Ornithology. His greatest work is a 'Key to North American Birds,' etc., with 561 illustrations, a valuable work, the second edition of which was published last year in England, by Messrs. Macmillan and Co.
July, 1885.
CONTENTS.
| page | ||
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
1 | |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
19 | |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
46 | |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
49 | |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
50 | |
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . |
63 | |
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse