182 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY. [Voir. 



1877. Anon. [Beewer, T. M.] The Sparrow Question [Passer domesticiis]. <^The 

 American Cultivator (Boston, Mass.), June 23, 1877. 



An ainbuslied attack upon T. G. Gentry, in whicli the latter is satirized, ridiculed, and 

 abused for Ms remarks upon the subject in his "Life-Histories of theBii'ds of PennsylTania." 

 Anonymus charges Mr. Gentry with deliberately "concocting, publishing and corrupting 

 the public mind by conclusions and statements " ■which, &c. There is a spice of Attic salt in 

 such writing, which makes it very palatable, and tends to cement friendship and shorten 

 controversy. ITo argument is made in this case, the article being a lamxjoon, chiefly directed 

 against Mr. Gentry's alleged literary infelicities. 



1877. Anon. [Beewer, T. M.] Ornitliological Papacy. <^ Boston Journal, June 5, 



1877. 



This is one of Dr. Brewer's most amusing tirades. He takes as his text that same para- 

 graph of Coues and Prentiss's which gave him such offence, and discourses upon the subject 

 at length. The burden of the grievance this time is the remarks of those gentlemen respect- 

 ing the action Boston took in the matter of the Shrikes. Mr. Galvin reappears, as usual. The 

 author • ' ventures to suggest "to them, that ' ' Boston knows ah'eady what are alike her duties 

 and her interests, as regards the sparrow." Lest the applicability of the title of this paper 

 to the subject be missed, it should be explained that the writer charges Drs. Coues and 

 Prentiss with an "assumption ... of infallible wisdom and knowledge on the subject, 



quite papal in tone." 

 t 



1877. Anon. [Commageee, F. Y.] [An editorial in favor of Passer domesticus in 



America.] The Gazette (Washington, D. C), May 27, 1877. 



Quoting Drs. Coues and Prentiss's recent article in Pield and Forest, and reflecting upon it 



with mock severity. 



1877. Anon. Sparrows' [Passer domesticus] Power of Eeasoning. <^ Chicago Field, 

 Oct. 20, 1877. 



Prom the Hartford Times, date unknown. "A curious story. Illustrative of the intelligence 

 and reasoning power, and perhaps of the characteristic rascality also, of" the bird. A female 

 stole a feather from another's nest, and hid it tiU she could get a chance to deposit it in her 

 own nest unobserved. 



1377. Anon. Sparrows [Passer domesticus]. <^Kew YorTc Herald, Aug. 11, 1877,» 



" ~We believe Dr. Coues is right. . . . He points out, what is known to be true by every 

 observiag farmer near New York, that the sparrows are gradually driving away all the native 

 birds." 



1877. Brewee, T. M. Sparrow [Passer domesticus]. <^Ihe Ga^eWe (Washington), 

 vol. xvii. No. 26, June 3, 1877. 



I have lost or mislaid the cUp, and cannot give the substance of this article. It contained, 

 however, something about a lie well stuck to being as good as the truth, with reference to 

 some writings of E. Coues on the Sparrow ciuestion. The writer subsequently apologized. 

 Cf. 1877, Beewee, T. M., and 1877, CouES, E. 



1877. Brewer, T. M. The Sparrow [Passer domesticus] again. — Another letter from 

 the Distinguished Ornithologist, Dr. Brewer. <^ The Gazette (Washington, D. 

 C), Julyl, 1877. 



Personal and apologetic, courteously disclaiming as unintentional that reflection which he 

 had been understood to cast, in a previous letter in the same paper, upon E. Coues's sincerity 

 and veracity. 



1877. Brewer, T. M. Justice to the Sparrow [Passer domesticus]. <^ Boston Daily 

 Advertiser, Dec. — , 1877. 



Denying the statements of fact made by H. A. P[urdie] in same paper of July 30, 1877, 

 resiDecttQg Orgyia leucostigina. Mr. J. Galvin, the city forester, is produced as a witness. 

 The upshot of a long narrative of his personal observations in Boston is: "It is not only my 

 belief, but my knowledge, that the sparrow does eagerly and thoroughly destroy this trouble- 

 some insect." 



1877. B[rewer], T. M. The House Sparrow [Passer domesticus]. <^ Boston Daihj 

 Advertiser, Dec. 8, 1877. 



Covering a letter from Dr. H. Hagen, defending the Sparrows, and one from S. Cabot, M. D., 

 defending T. M. Brewer. No material point made in either case. 



^^■, 



