CHAPTER V 



CLOSING YEARS AT CAXAIS. 



THE work of Mr. Boardman as a naturalist really 

 ended with the death of Prof. Baird in 1887. 

 Indeed, four years before Prof. Baird's death he had 

 written Mr. Boardman that it was not likely he would 

 make any additions to the list of Maine birds and sug- 

 gested that the list should be revised and published as a 

 final work as he thought it not advisable to wait longer 

 for new species. Mr. Boardman's friendship and cor- 

 respondence, his visits and exchanges with Prof. Baird 

 had continued uninterruptedly for a period of twenty- 

 seven years with the closest intimacy and delight. Now 

 he had gone. His friend and correspondent, Dr. Wil- 

 liam Wood of Connecticut, had died in 1885 and John 

 Krider in 1886. The last letters from Mr. Dresser that 

 have been found among Mr. Boardman's papers were 

 written in 1874. Mr. Boardman still wrote occasionally 

 to Mr. Charles HaUock and to Prof. Robert Ridgway 

 for he loved to be in communication with his friends. 

 On April 4, 1887, Mr. Boardman wrote to Prof. Ridgway : 

 ' ' I have received several letters through the winter from 

 Prof. Baird. He writes me how poorly he has been in 



