The Brunswick Times

STARLING AND SPARROW.

Pittsburg Will Use the German Bird to Drive Out the Sparrow.

Not deterred by the many failures to exterminate the English sparrow, the Alleghany department of public works has adopted a new plan to rid Pittsburg of this ornithological pest. If the new plan is worth anything at all, next summer will see numberless conflicts between the English sparrow and the German starling.

David Fulton, superintendent of Riverview park, says the German starling is the inveterate foe of the sparrow. Wherever the starling has obtained a foothold the sparrow eventually has disappeared. The starling drives him from his feeding grounds, destroys his nest and kills his young.

Superintendent Fulton some time ago obtained a number of pairs of starlings, which have been breeding in the aviary in Riverview park. By next spring 2,500 full fledged sparrow killers will be turned loose in Pittsburg. The starling is a beautiful bird, about nine inches long with glistening green black feathers. One bird is more than a match for half a dozen sparrows. Equaling his special enemy in pugnacity, he excels him in strength and quickness of wing.

A local German ornithologist sounded a solemn note of warning when he heard of Alleghany's new project. "Let the department of public works beware," he said. "The sparrows were first introduced in America because they were considered useful. As the original two dozen pairs increased to thousands they were found to be a nuisance. They ruined the crops by devouring them and added to the damage by driving the insectivorous birds away. It is true that the starling will persecute the sparrow, but unfortunately he is as much an Ishmael among song birds as the sparrow is. The starling will find it more to his liking to drive out the few song birds that the other has left rather than to devote his time and attention to the quarrelsome little sparrow, who is brave even if he isn't strong. The starling is as impudent as the cuckoo, and, like him, thinks it ridiculous to build himself a nest when by looking about he can find and utilize a domicile that some other bird has built. Superintendent Fulton will be sorry for having introduced this fighter."—New York Sun.