216 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



he belonged, he was more widely known as an enthusi- 

 astic naturalist, and especially as an ornithologist whose 

 opinion was widely sought and universally respected. 

 He was also a taxidermist of large experience and talent. 

 His collection of birds and eggs both native and foreign 

 is one of the largest in private hands in the country. A 

 large proportion of them have been prepared by his own 

 hands. His writings have consisted principally of com- 

 munications to local and other papers mainly on the 

 birds and fishes of New England. He also contributed 

 to some of the earlier volumes of this Magazine, but of 

 late he confined himself to occasional notes on subjects 

 which were being discussed." 



In 1896 Mrs. Mary Ellsworth Wood, wddow of Dr. 

 Wood, presented her husband's entire collection to the 

 Hartford Scientific Society and it was deposited in the 

 rooms of the Wadsworth Athenaeum. A full and most 

 interesting description of the collection, with illustra- 

 tions, was published in the columns of The Hartford 

 Courant, November 18, 1896. In 1902, when the collec- 

 tion was opened to the general public, an account of the 

 same also appeared in the columns of The Hartford 

 Times, July 7. The collection is under the care of 

 Albert C. Bates, librarian of the Connecticut Historical 

 Society. 



Mr. John H. Sage of Portland, Conn., writing to Mr. 

 Boardman August 19, 1885, regarding Dr. Wood's 

 death, says : " Yes — it is sad to think our good friend 

 Dr. Wood has left us. I was thunder-struck when I 

 took up the paper and read the notice of his death, hav- 

 ing had a letter from him only a few days before. He 

 died at six o'clock Sunday morning, August 9, aged 



