BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 119 



public interest. There was one subject, however, brought before the meeting of April 

 17th of this year, which is here mentioned, because there is yet quite as much diversity of 

 opinion upon it as at that time, and some readers may be interested to learn where to look 

 for the views of two distinguished members of the Society whose investigations led them 

 to diametrically opposite conclusions. This subject was practically what was likely to be 

 the result of the introduction here of the common house-sparrow of Europe. Dr. Charles 

 Pickering ably presented his ideas on the question, maintaining that nothing but evil would 

 follow their increase ; that its habits were of the most destructive character and that it had 

 been the enemy of mankind for five thousand years. Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, on the 

 other hand, at a subsequent meeting, defended the bird from the charges preferred against 

 it, claimed that it had already accomplished much good in the destruction of insects, and 

 cited the authority of many authors in proof of its great usefulness. The papers pre- 

 sented were meagrely reported, but may be found in the eleventh volume of the Pro- 

 ceedings. 



The establishment of the Museum of American Archaeology and Ethnology at Cam- 

 bridge through the munificence of George Peabody, Esq., gave rise to the question wdiether 

 it was worth while for the Society to continue its department of Ethnology. After much 

 consideration it was judged best to abolish it, and this was accordingly done by a vote of 

 the Council. The collection was afterwards presented to the Peabody Museum of American 

 Archaeology and Ethnology at Cambridge. 



Some of the rooms of the Museum which had remained unfinished were at this time 

 prepared for use by laying the floors and building cases. The lecture room was also 

 finished. 



Just before the annual meeting the Society was the recipient of a bequest from a former 

 patron, Mr. Paschal P. Pope, of $20,000. This large sum was most gratefully received. 

 Mr. Pope had been a successful merchant and had accumulated a large fortune, the greater 

 portion of which he bequeathed to various public institutions. He had the reputation of 

 being a highly honorable man, and died at an advanced age, much respected by all whs 

 knew him. 



At the annual meeting, May 1st, the Custodian reported that there were now held every 

 week meetings of the general Society, or of the sections of Entomology and Microscopy. 

 There had been thirty-five meetings of the Society ; forty-four communications on various 

 branches of natural history had been read ; forty-one Resident, seven Corresponding, and 

 four Honorary Members elected. The first number of the Memoirs in quarto had been 

 issued, and the first quarter of Volume XI of the Proceedings completed. The museum 

 had been open one hundred and one days, with an average of three hundred and twelve 

 visitors per diem. 



The Library had increased in size, mainly through the efforts made to effect exchanges 

 for our publications by the Librarian when in Europe. It will perhaps surprise readers to 

 learn that an amount equivalent to 400,000 octavo pages of the publications of the Society 

 had been sent away during the year. 



The donations to the cabinet had been less numerous than usual. Including the bequest 

 of Miss Pratt, there' had been added 20,202 specimens. Among these and worthy of 

 mention, was a valuable collection of volcanic specimens from the Hawaiian Islands, pre 

 sented by Mr. Wm. T. Brigham. 



