70 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



Central Park and at Washington the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution. Mr. Boardman's visits south during 1876 and 

 1877 were but a repetition of those of previous years. 

 He vpas happy in meeting his many friends, happy in 

 his collecting, being always on the watch for something 

 new, packing and sending away boxes of specimens, 

 while his ever genial temperament found many occasions 

 for giving pleasure to those whom he met. Writing 

 letters to friends was a pastime he much enjoyed and his 

 correspondence took much of his time. In September 

 and October, 1876, Mr. Boardman spent a week at the 

 Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia, for some days 

 being in company with Prof. Baird. During his winter 

 at the south this year he was joined by Prof. Baird and 

 Dr. Foster and these friends had a fine time together 

 for two weeks in the month of April. On Mr. Boardman's 

 return north, while at Charleston, S. C, he " went up in 

 a little steamer to Magnolia and Draton Hall to see the 

 flowers; gone all day" — as he records in his diary. 

 When in Washington he attended a dinner party at 

 Senator Edmunds', accompanied by the Bairds. In the 

 summer and fall of 1877 he visited Fredericton, St. John, 

 Halifax, Pictou, Summerside and Shediac. 



Mr. Boardman had now spent eight winters in Florida. 

 Splendid field naturalist that he was before he went 

 there, he had added largely to his knowledge of birds by 

 these visits and had by eight years' collecting and study 

 of birds in their southern homes, become very familiar 

 with the ornithology of the south and with the migratory 

 habits and climatic range of our native birds. He had 

 also spent one spring in California. During his journeys 

 to and from his home and the south he had made visits 



