12 INTRODUCTION. 



vast amount of valuable information besides that which has come di- 

 rectly into the possession of the Department of Agriculture j and when 

 to this is added the voluminous and oftentimes valuable publications 

 relating to the status of the Sparrow in other countries, it will be seen 

 that the material available for a satisfactory investigation of the Spar- 

 row problem is very full and measurably complete. The collation and 

 comparison of such data have involved a large amount of care and 

 patience, and in presenting the results of this investigation to the pub- 

 lic it is believed that any one so disposed can find in the present report 

 facts enough to set at rest all doubts as to the economic status of this 

 well known species. 



At the outset of the investigation the fact was recognized that doubt- 

 ers on either side of the question would not be likely to -abandon their 

 positions on the simple presentation of any amount of mere opinion; 

 and it was therefore determined to print in detail all the evidence on 

 which the conclusions were based, so that each reader might see for 

 himself whether the facts had been fairly interpreted, and whether the 

 verdict was just or unjust. 



In accordance with this plan, the present Bulletin will be found to 

 consist of two very distinct parts, viz, evidence and deduction, the 

 former far exceeding the latter in volume. Under the head of evidence 

 will be found in its appropriate place every scrap of information rele- 

 vant to the inquiry, under the name of the person contributing it, and 

 accompanied, whenever possible, by the exact date and locality to which 

 the information relates.* 



Most of the information contributed was received in reply to ques- 

 tions contained in circulars of inquiry. Wherever possible these re- 

 plies have been printed in the same form in which they were received, 

 and when for any reason it has been found necessary to change the form 

 of a reply, either in dismembering a statement relating to several 

 subjects, or in condensing several statements relating to the same 

 subject, the utmost care has been taken to preserve the^exact meaning 

 of the observer; while in all cases where the meaning has been obscure, 

 the statements have been given verbatim. Perhaps it might have been 

 better in such cases to omit the statement altogether, but the tact has 

 been kept constantly in mind that all such omissions might be con- 

 strued by some as evidence of partiality or prejudice. 



The deductions from this evidence, which constitute the larger por- 

 tion of Part I of this Bulletin, are the result of careful study and com- 

 parison, and have been made, it is believed, with perfect fairness to all 



* The amount of testimony thus arranged proved to he so large — more than trehle 

 the size of all the remainder of the Bulletin— that when submitted for publication it 

 was found to be absolutely impossible to print it entire, and consequently it has been 

 reduced very greatly. The utmost care has been taken, however, to preserve the im- 

 partial character of the evidence as a whole, by retaining both favorable and un- 

 favorable testimony as nearly as possible in the same proportions iu which they ex- 

 isted in the report as originally prepared. 



