EXPLORATIONS IN FLORIDA 3 



We observe with sorrow an account of the death and burial 

 of poor Wilson, somewhere in the state of Philadelphia, even 

 while the Edinburgh journals are anticipating his return, laden 

 with scientific treasures. We have now before us No. 1 of his 

 Illustrations of American Ornithology, on a reduced scale, to 

 sort with Professor Jameson's edition — a pretty and attrac- 

 tive publication. The coloured prints are extremely correct 

 and well done. 



When on September 8 the Edinburgh Caledonian Mer- 

 cury had called attention to this egregious blunder re- 

 garding Wilson, the Gazette explained that his name 

 had been confused with that of Audubon, whose obit- 

 uary presently appeared in its issue of October 29, the 

 editor remarking that this naturalist's death was equally, 

 if not more, to be deplored than that of Wilson. Cap- 

 tain Brown then sent to the Caledonian Mercury Audu- 

 bon's letter to Kidd, quoted above, which was written 

 from New York four days after the naturalist's death 

 was announced in England. "What is the editor of the 

 Literary Gazette about," exclaimed a writer in the Edin- 

 burgh paper; "he first resuscitates a man who has been 

 dead 18 years, only to kill him again, and then, by way 

 of correcting his error, kills another, who is now clearly 

 proved to have been alive and well several days after 

 the date of his obituary in London." 



As was often the case, Audubon's ambitious hopes 

 for exploring the continent far outran his means and 

 powers of accomplishment. Colonel John James 

 Abert, whose counsel he sought in Washington at this 

 time, said: 2 "His plan is first to examine the peninsula 



2 Extract of letter of Colonel Abert. See G. W. Featherstonhaugh 

 (Bibl. No. 164), Monthly American Journal of Geology and Natural 

 Science, vol. i, p. 229 (1831). 



John James Abert (1788-1863), long associated with the Bureau of 

 Topographical Engineers of the United States Army, became brevet 



