Looking up, he saw a great many boxes fastened,
some to the stems, some to the branches of the trees. Surprised at this,
he asked a gentleman on one of the seats, "What is the meaning of those
boxes suspended up there?" and he was told that twelve years before, not
a single leaf was to be found upon any of those trees, now so full of
beautiful foliage. At that time, a small grub called the inch-worm had the
disagreeable habit of breeding in the bark, climbing up the boughs and
stripping them of every leaf. Thus it was in the orchards, gardens, and
parks in many States of the Union.
At length a thinking man who kept his eyes open, suggested a remedy--to
import several thousands of English sparrows, providing them with little
wooden houses, and feeding them daily until they were settled in, and
contented with their new home. Thousands of beautiful little boxes were
volunteered and fixed in the trees, and thousands of young sparrows
were brought over. A State law was passed inflicting a penalty of one
dollar--nearly five shillings--or a week's imprisonment, on any person who
killed one; and most happy was the result. The inch-worm was destroyed, the
trees became healthy and green, and now the spirited little English birds
hop and chirp in every garden and park in the Union!
[Illustration: "ONLY A LITTLE SPARROW."]
A restless little House-sparrow would seem an unlikely bird to become tame,
but I have heard of one which was rescued, having fallen from his nest, and
lived for two years on the happiest terms with his master, who says of his
pet bird; "He was only confined to his cage during the morning: from midday
until the next morning he was free to go about the house, but was of course
mostly kept to one room.
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