54 THE ENGLISH SPARROW 



1867. Pickering, C. [On the Introduction of the Euro- 

 pean House Sparrow into America, as threaten- 

 ing a Great Evil.] Proc. Post. Soc. Nat. Hist. 

 xi. 1867, pp. 157, 158. 



It appears from the record herewith presented that the 

 credit of being the first in this country to foresee and pre- 

 dict the evil to result from the introduction of sparrows 

 into America belongs to Dr. Charles Pickering. This 

 article may be regarded as the entering-wedge ; and as 

 such it is entitled to special consideration. It was not, 

 however, until 1874 that the controversy was fairly 

 opened, though in the mean time several American 

 writers ventured to express their apprehensions, and 'to 

 give warnings which passed unheeded. Cf. , e.g., Bruce, 

 Amer. Nat. vi. 1872, pp. 469, 470 ; COUES, Key N. A. 

 Birds, 1872, p. 146. 



[872. J. P. The Enghsh Sparrows [Passer domesticus]. 

 Country Gentleinan, Aug. i, 1872. 



That they are not efficient destroyers of insects, but 

 that they do drive away native birds. 



1874. Brewer, T. M. The European House Sparrow 

 [Passer domesticus]. Amer. Nat. viii. No. 9, 

 Sept. 1874, pp. 556, 557. 



The opening of the controversy on the part of Dr. 

 Brewer. ' I regret very much that a naturalist generally 

 so well informed as Dr. Coues should aid in giving what 

 my own observations compel nie to believe to be an alto- 

 gether wrong statement in regard to the house-sparrow, 

 published in the July number of the Naturalist. ... I 

 submit that this is too important a question to be thus 

 dismissed, especially by a gentleman like Dr. Coues, who 

 has enjoyed no opportunity of knowing from his own 

 observations whether the opinions he is so free to express 

 are well founded or not. The statement of Mr. Gentry I 

 entirely discredit.' Dr. Brewer's own observations and 

 opinions follow. 



