INTRODUCTION. 13 



sides of the question. The history ot the Sparrow controversy in Amer- 

 ica shows plainly, however, that it would be folly to expect all friends 

 of the Sparrow to accept our conclusions as to its character and habits. 

 There are some persons whose minds aie so constituted that nothing is 

 evidence to them except what is derived from their own observation, and 

 as this unfortunate mental infirmity is commonly correlated with the 

 total inability to observe anything which interferes with their theories, 

 it makes little difference whether their opportunities have been good or 

 bad, their position is unassailable. With this class of observers we 

 have nothing to do. No amount of evidence will change their opinion, 

 and fortunately for the good of mankind it makes little difference what 

 that opinion may be. But the mass of American agriculturists, me- 

 chanics, and professional men are reasonable beings, willing to believe 

 the reports of other men whose opportunities for observation have been 

 better than their own, and it is believed that a majority of these men 

 will be glad to examine the large amount of evidence presented, and 

 settle for themselves the question of the Sparrow's character. 



For those who have not time to read the evidence in detail summaries 

 of the evidence on each head have been prepared, including tables show- 

 ing the alleged injuries to each crop, and briefer summaries showing 

 the numbers of favorable and unfavorable reports on each question.' 

 No doubt these tables are often misleading, for in them a simple yes or 

 no from a man whose observation has been limited carries the same 

 weight as the mature results of half a life-time of observation by an- 

 other; yet many facts are brought out strongly which might be over- 

 looked otherwise, and the tendency to give undue weight to numbers 

 alone is partly corrected by the samples of evidence submitted in con- 

 nection with each summary. 



In regard to these u samples of evidence" it should be stated that it 

 has been the endeavor to select those which would give a fair idea of 

 the character of the evidence, not simply those which support any one 

 view of the case. Undoubtedly objection will be made on the one 

 hand to the selection of so few favorable reports, and 'on the other to 

 the printing of any at all 5 but the aim has been to give each side of 

 the question a representation proportionate to the weight of evideuce, 

 and when any deviation from this rule has been made it generally has 

 been in a direction favorable to the weaker side, tbatis, to the Sparrow. 

 The selection of many examples of the same kind from any one section 

 of the country has been avoided, as it seemed best in many cases to call 

 attention to the similarity of the reports from widely separated locali- 

 ties. 



