1867.1 157 [Pickering. 



three, I think, were diseased. Ten were dreadfully diseased in the 

 genitals (seven male and three female), and the others were mostly 

 affected with eruptions or sore eyes. Most of them seemed comfort- 

 able and kept up an incessant chattering. 



There wei'e but few broken limbs, and no monstrosities at the time 

 of my visit, although I was assured that monsters were often brought 

 there, but seldom lived long. , 



This Pinjrapol is supported by the donations of wealthy Hindus, 

 and employs more than fifty nurses, who form a distinct class. At 

 Baroach, on the Nerbudda, is another similar institution ; and that 

 at Surat is said to be the largest in India. In the latter place, in 1772, 

 was an old tortoise knoAvn to have been there seventy-five years. 



Messrs. Ivory Harmon, Ed-^vard T. Bouve, Wm, Tudor 

 and Martin B. Inches were elected Resident Members. 



April 17, 1867. 



The President in the chair. Sixty-three members present. 



Dr. Charles Pickering called attention to the recent intro- 

 duction of the house s2:)arrow of Europe into this country. 

 As it threatens great evil, preventive measures shotild be 

 speedily adopted. 



Proofs of Its destructive habits were cited from standard authors, 

 showing that the bird had been the acknowledged enemy of mankind 

 for more than five thousand years : when writing was invented, the 

 sparrow was selected for the hieroglyphic character signifying enemy. 



Sonnini, in the Dictionaire d'Histoire Naturelle, published in 1817, 

 says : — 



"Sparrows are impudent parasites, living only in society with man. 

 and dividing with him his grain, his fruit, and his home; they attack 

 the first fruit that ripens, the grain as it approaches maturity, and 

 even that which has been stored in granaries. Some writei'S have 

 wrongly supposed that the insects destroyed by them compensated for 

 their ravages on grain ; eighty-two grains of wheat were coinited in 

 the craw of a sparrow shot by the writer ; and Rougier de la Bergerie, 

 to whom we owe excellent memoirs on rural economy, estimates that 



