276 William Oakes, the American Botanist 



as a building haunt, for perhaps forty years, and two or three 

 pair returning again last season, is singular. The increase 

 in the number of quails wintering of late years, and in the 

 number of woodcocks remaining through the summer to breed 

 in favourite localities, is worthy of record. 



A great deal more might be stated, in these general terms, 

 on the subject of the increase and decrease of species. But 

 it is hoped that sufficient has been said to denote the desira- 

 bleness of our possessing full and accurate ornithological 

 statistics of Ireland, such as the author intends to give in 

 the detailed notices of the species throughout the work. — 

 {From an interesting work just published^ viz., " The Natural 

 History of Ireland. ^^ By Wm. Thompson, Esq., President of 

 the Natural History Society of Belfast, ^c, ^'c.) 



William Oakes, the American Botanist. 



William Oakes, A.M., well known as the most distinguished bo- 

 tanist of New England, fell overboard from the ferry-boat between 

 Boston and East Boston, and was drowned, on the 31st July 1848, 

 at the age of forty-nine years. The services which Mr Oakes has 

 rendered to that department of natural science to which he was so 

 enthusiastically devoted, his active kindness of heart and liberal spirit, 

 which endeared him to a wide circle of friends and correspondents, — 

 no less than the painful circumstances of his death, in respect to which 

 a misapprehension has obtained currency, which it is the duty of 

 friendship to correct — all conspire to claim a tribute to his memory 

 in the pages of the American Journal of Science. The writer re- 

 grets that the materials at hand for a biographical notice of his la- 

 mented friend are so scanty. There are, no doubt, many interesting 

 reminiscences which might be furnished by the surviving companions 

 of his earlier years. But the life of the naturalist who, instead of 

 gathering the novelties of far distant regions, consecrates himself to 

 the assiduous and complete investigation of the flora and fauna of his 

 native district, is seldom eventful. The story of the life of William 

 Oakes may be told in a few words. He was born at Dan vers, Mas- 

 sachussetts, on the 1st July 1779. He received his earlier education 

 in the common schools of his native town, with the exception of a few 

 months passed, while preparing for college, under the tuition of the 

 late Benjamin D. Oliver, Esq., then a practising lawyer at Danvers. 

 He entered Harvard College in the year 1816, and was graduated, 

 with credit, in 1820. His fondness for Natural History, which he 

 brought with him to college, was developed under the instructions of 

 the late Professor Peck, and his vacations, and probably no small 



