SPARROWS. 
69 
study of a book called the ‘ House Sparrow,’* containing information 
by Mr. Gurney, Col. Russell, and others, who have devoted special 
attention to this matter, and also the names and short notes of the 
contents of many papers on the subject of the severe injury caused by 
the introduction of Sparrows into the United States of America, 
beginning with the warnings of Hr, C. Pickering in 1867. 
The enormous increase and the great amount of damage caused by 
the English Sparrows imported into the American States has given 
rise to an investigation, on the part of the American Ornithologists’ 
Union, as to the practical agricultural bearing of this invasion, and 
the results have now been published, during 1885, in the form of a 
regular Report. This Report is of great value, as being the verdict of 
a known body of ornithologists on evidence collected in long and wide¬ 
spread investigation. Through the courtesy of Messrs. Wesley & Son, 
Essex Street, Strand, I have been put in possession of the Report in 
full, as printed in the number of the journal entitled ‘ Forest and 
Stream,’! for August 6th, 1885 ; and, as the points enquired into, the 
information received, and the opinion expressed by the Ornithologists’ 
Union thereon, are all of so much value, I do not apologise to my 
readers for the insertion of much of the paper here (though not a 
British contribution to my own Report), as all agriculturists will feel 
it meets a great need that we share with the sister country. 
The following extracts show the reasons and careful method of 
investigation, together with the names of some of the leading members 
of the Society, which probably will be of interest to English ornith¬ 
ologists :— 
“The English Sparrow. 
“ Verdict of the American Ornithologists' Union. 
“ At the meeting of the Council of the American Ornithologists’ 
Union, held in Washington, April 21st, 1885, the committee appointed 
in September, 1888, to inquire into the question of the eligibility or 
ineligibility of the European House Sparrow in America, rendered its 
final report, which was accpted and adopted as the sense of the Union 
on the subject, and the committee was discharged with the unanimous 
thanks of the Union. The report, which was accompanied by a large 
quantity of valuable data, is here given :— 
“ Mr. President and Members of the Union: Your committee, appointed 
to inquire into the eligibility of the European House Sparrow ( Passer 
domesticus ) as a naturalised resident in this country, has the honour 
herewith to submit its report. After due consideration your committee 
* * The House Sparrow, and the EnglishSparrow in America.’ W. Wesley and 
Son, Essex Street, Strand. 3s. 6d. 
f Forest and Stream Publishing Company, 39, Park Row, New York. 
