SECTION FIRST -SUMMARIES OF EVIDENCE. 



IMPOKTATIOfl ; SPKEAD ; INOKEASE ; CHECKS. 

 INTRODUCTION OF THE SPARROW. 



The English Sparrow* was first brought to this country, so far as 

 authentic information lias reached the Department,, in the fall of 1850, 

 when the lion. Mcolas Pike and other directors of the Brooklyn In- 

 stitute imported eight pairs into Brooklyn, K. Y. 



As this first importation of Sparrows is of much interest, we give in 

 full Mr. Pike's account of it and of the following importation a year or 

 two later. He says : 



"It was hot till 1850 that the first eight pairs were brought from 

 England to the Brooklyn Institute, of which I was then a director. 

 We built a large cage for them, and cared for them during the winter 

 months. Early in the spring of 1851 they were liberated, but they did 

 not thrive. 



" In 1852 a committee of members of the Institute was chosen for the 

 re-introduction of these birds, of which I was chairman. 



" Over $200 was subscribed for expenses. I went to England in 

 1852, on my way to the consul-generalship of Portugal. On my arrival 

 in Liverpool I gave the order for a large lot of Sparrows and song birds 

 to be purchased at once. They were shipped on board the steam-ship 

 Europa, if I am not mistaken, in charge of an officer of the ship. Fifty 

 Sparrows were let loose at the Narrows, according to instructions, and 

 the rest on arrival were placed in the tower of Greenwood Cemetery 

 chapel. They did not do well, so were removed to the house of Mr. 

 John Hooper, one of the committee, who offered to take care of them 

 during the winter. 



" In the spring of 1S53 they were all let loose in the grounds of Green- 

 wood Cemetery, and a man hired to watch them. They did well and 

 multiplied, and I have original notes taken from time to time of their 

 increase and colonization over our great country." 



*Tkc true name of this bird is the " House Sparrow." The name " English Spar- 

 row" is a misnomer, as the species is not confined to England, but is native to 

 nearly the whole of Europe. The fact that most of the birds brought to America 

 came from England explains the origin of the misleading name by which it is now 

 so widely known that any attempt to change it would be futile. 



8404— Bull. 1 - —2 17 



