156 REPORT UPON COTTON INSECTS. 



The firmest upholder of the sparrows, and the man who has written 

 most in their defense, is Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, of Boston. Owing to 

 the fact that nearly all his writings upon this subject are controversial, 

 and that in no one of them which we have seen is there a general sum- 

 ming up of the pro-sparrow arguments, we have had difficulty in select- 

 ing from them one to present to our readers. We have finally hit upon 

 his correspondence with Mr. Galvin, city forester of Boston, as in it he 

 summarizes his main points, and as he has always considered Mr. Gal- 

 vin's evidence as almost conclusive. It is from the Boston Transcript 



for April : 



" BOSTON, April 23, 1677. 



' ' DEAR SIR : Having taken a deep interest in the introduction into tliis country of the 

 house sparrow of Europe, and, while holding my own convictions, based upon careful ob- 

 servations as to the value of this bird, and as to the truth or the falsehood of the' accu- 

 sations made against them, I take this liberty to ask you a few questions. I do this 

 because I well know that your previous knowledge of the habits of this species, and 

 your daily opportunities of a closer study of them than any one else can enjoy since 

 their introduction into Boston, give to your evidence an indisputable importance, and 

 that your conclusions far outweigh the crude, hasty opinions of prejudiced persons who 

 have never had the opportunity as yourself, and whose sweeping assertions have no 

 reliable data for their basis, but are, therefore, untrustworthy and worthless. You 

 Lave, no doubt, seen those oft-repeated accusations, all of which are contrary to my ex- 

 perience. Desiring to know whether I am right or wrong in my conclusions, I take 

 the liberty of appealing to you, that you may correct me if I am wrong, and confirm 

 me wherever I may be right. 



" Was the introduction of the sparrow attended with any marked effect in Boston 

 in the destruction of insects injurious to the foliage of ornamental trees on the Common 

 or elsewhere in the city ? 



"Have you any reason to believe that the sparrow is still beneficial to our com- 

 munity in the destruction of injurious insects ? 



"Have you ever known the sparrow to attack any other bird or contend with any 

 species except in defense of its own nest or box ? 



"Have you noticed any decrease in the number of our native birds that visit our 

 city in the summer season; and, if so, of what species; and do you attribute any de- 

 crease to known adverse action of the sparrow ? 



" The Daily Advertiser recently asserted, as a positive, indisputable fact, that the 

 sparrow shows a particular animosity against the robin and the bluebird. If this 

 be true, it cannot have escaped your notice. Have you witnessed or have any of your 

 men reported to you any instances of such animosity ? 



"In this matter, with all my own warmly-interested sympathy for and in favor of 

 the sparrow, I desire a full and candid statement of your convictions, drawn from your 

 own observations, whether they are in support of my views or the contrary. 

 " Yours, very sincerely, 



"T. M. BREWER. 



"JoiiN GALVIN, 



" City Forester." 



"CITY HALL, Boston, April 23, 1877. 



"DEAR SIR: I am perfectly willing to answer all your questions frankly and fully. 

 Yon are right in supposing that I am and have been familiar with the habits of the 

 sparrow even before their introduction. Since their coming to Boston my duties and 

 those of my men have given them constant opportunity to notice what they do. Their 

 introduction into Boston was immediately attended with great benefit, almost beyond 

 calculation. The trees on the Common were infested with a nasty yellow caterpillar, 

 which destroyed the leaves and buds of the elms and other trees, and these insecte-in- 



