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Show AUTHORITY SAYS THE ENGLISH SPARROW IS NOT AN INSECT-FEEDING INSECT-FEEDING BIRD AND SHOULD DIE The following letter In regard to the campaign against the English sparrow has been received by the Weber county farm bureau from W. W. Henderson, professor of cntomol-, cntomol-, ogy at the T'tah Agricultural college. "1 would advine (hat you secure a number of farmers' bulletins No. 40!'. to distribute among certain of the farmers who are not in sympathy with the campaign for poisoning sparrows. This bulletin gives a summary of all the necessary information on the subject. sub-ject. "There is ibundanl evidence that sparrows are not Insecfefeeding hlrd., and although they do carry some insects in-sects to their nestlings, the number is so small that this does not justify the existence of the sparrow Mr. Tims has compiled ; small amount of information which is contained in his bulletin No lin and which he gives evidence tint sparrows very seldom sel-dom feed on the alfalfa weevil. Onb' about 60 birds were examined in his experiments and so. of course the evl dence is not larce The bioloclcal surey has thoroughly Investigated i he alfalfa wepvil eating habits of the ! sparrowv though it has not yet pub lished all of the results Mention is made of the fact in the bulletin refer re-fer red to ahoe, and the statement Is given that, while sparrows do carry some of the alfalfa weevil larvae and adults to their nestlings, the good they do In this regard is far outweiqhed by the harm they do in devouring useful seeds and grain "There is no question in the mind? of all investigators about the de-structiveness de-structiveness of the English sparrow. Campaigns for their destruction are justified in all farming communities and should be vigorously carried ou. "Very truly vours, (Risned) "W. W. HENDERSON, "Entomologist " |