Bouvé.] 412 [February 
received consequently very gratifying attention from many 
distinguished scientific men whilst abroad. 
In the cause of popular education he was very zealous, 
manifesting at all times great interest in the public schools of 
the city. He was long a member of the Boston School 
Committee, and served in this capacity with great devoted- 
ness. His last election to this office was in 1879 for the term 
of three years. 
Dr. Brewer was elected a member of, this Society Oct. 7, 
1835, and soon became well known by his valuable contribu- 
tions, mostly upon his favorite pursuit of ornithology. It is 
pleasant to recall the fact that his first communication to the 
Society was in defence of Nuttall and Audubon, the distin- 
guished naturalists, the latter his warm personal friend, 
against some unjust attempts in a foreign magazine to 
detract from their well earned and deserved reputation. 
Not long after he presented a highly interesting paper upon 
the Birds of Massachusetts, in which he gave an account of 
_over forty species not embraced in the State report of Dr. 
Hitchcock upon the Geology and Natural History of the 
State. From that early period, now nearly half a century 
since, he never ceased to manifest great interest in the wel- 
fare of the Society, by frequent communications and in such 
other ways as his health and time would admit. 
Apart from what he performed for the Society he accom 
plished much for scientific knowledge by contributions 
to several publications of great value, and by articles which 
he furnished for some of the popular magazines. 
As these remarks will be supplemented by particular men- 
tion of Dr. Brewer’s scientific writings in a sketch furnished 
by his friend Mr. J. A. Allen, it will not be necessary for me 
to make further reference to them, and I need only add 
that, had he lived free from -the business cares that until 
recently absorbed most of his time, much more might have 
been looked for from him relative to the habits of birds, par- 
ticularly of such as find a home permanently or temporarily 
n New Hngland. 
