Coues, Elliott

(1842-1899). Born at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Coues was known chiefly for his works on ornithology, mammalogy, herpetology, bibliography, comparative anatomy and natural philosophy. He joined the TS in 1884.

In 1884, he was associate member of the Society for Psychical Research in London; co-founder Die Theosophische Societat, Germania; founder Gnostic Theosophical Society (TS), Washington, D.C.; member of General Council and American Board of Control, TS; 1885-06, president American Board of Control. On June 22, 1889, the Executive Committee of the American Section of the TS, on charges preferred, finding Coues guilty of conduct unworthy of a theosophist, unanimously expelled him from the Theosophical Society.

The following year, the New York Sun published a defamatory article by Coues about Theosophy, Helena P. Blavatsky, William Q. JUDGE and others; two years later (1892) the Sun retracted this as being “without solid foundation.”

G.F.K.

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