1898.] THE HOUSE SPARROW 167 



our sparrow work under the notice of Mr. [now Sir 

 Ernest] Clarke, Secretary, Royal Agricultural Society 

 I hope in a way to advance our work. I sent him 

 a couple of the twenty-second thousand, with a sort of 

 report letter, giving some points. Mr. Clarke has replied 

 very courteously that he is much obliged for my interesting 

 letter, which he will lay before the Society's Zoological 

 Committee. Also that, as he is occasionally asked for the 

 leaflet, it might "save me (E. A. O.) unnecessary corre- 

 spondence " if he were able to send copies to inquirers. 

 I am delighted to follow up this suggestion for practically 

 it is the Royal Agricultural Society distributing for us, and 

 thus giving their marked approval. I wonder what will 

 come of the Zoological Committee's consideration. As 

 the President of the Society has such an exceedingly bad 

 opinion of the sparrow, I hope we may get some good 

 colleagueship. I am perpetually asked how to destroy 

 sparrows, but I refer the inquirers to you. I am longing 

 to hear when your book will come out surely it will have 

 a good circulation. I am well advanced now in the twenty- 

 second thousand, and the information is well spread, for we 

 have a splendid notice much more than a column in the 

 " Madras Mail," and I have had two applications from 

 scientific U.S.A. centres. 



I am still dispensing knowledge about the evil ways of 

 P. domesticus so steadily that I have had to order a sixth 

 impression. 



The store of letters grew to such a size that a week or two 

 ago I sent them (excepting about seventy which were to 

 some degree private) in a great parcel to Mr. Janson, and 

 I have arranged with him that this great mass, perhaps of 

 1,500 or i, 600 letters, should be sorted out into those that 

 are merely applications for leaflets and those which contain 

 any information. 



The overwork and worry was too much for me, joined to 

 my bad fall, and I was very far indeed from well for some 

 time with gout and exhausting troubles, but I am better, 

 and regaining strength. 



September 14, 1898. 



I most truly think it a great distinction that my name 

 should be associated [on the title-page of "The House 

 Sparrow"] with that of an Ornithologist of such world- 

 wide reputation as yourself, and as it is your wish I 

 very heartily agree. The only alteration I would suggest 

 is that the word " Miss " should be removed. I do not like 



