liCgiii 11171 OS of Natural Ilislory in Aiiicrica. 377 



history of American ornithology is liardly justifiable. I.awson l)eloni;ed 

 to the school of Plarriot and the first Clapton. 



lidward Boluni and Job I^ord, of Carolina, appear to have been inter- 

 ested in natural history at this time and to have l)een collecting speci- 

 mens for Petiver in lyondon, while William \'ernon was engaged in 

 similar occupations in Maryland. 



In those early daws all Iuiro}-)e was anxious to hear of the wonders of 

 America, and still more eager to see the strange (>1)jects which explorers 

 might l)e able to preserve and bring back with them. I'ublic- museums 

 were as \ft tud<n()wn, 1)Ut tlie reigning ])rinces sought eagerly to secure 

 novelties in the shape of animals and plants. 



Columl)US was charged by Oueen Isabella to collect birds, and it is 

 recorded that he t(Jok l)ack to vSpain various skins of be.asts. Ivven to 

 this day may lie seen, in vSiena, hanging ()\-er the walls of the old colle- 

 giate church, a votive offering, ])laced there nearly four centuries ago by 

 the discoverer of America, tlien in the prime of his glorw It consists of 

 the helmet and armor worn b\' him when he first ste])]X'd ujion the soil 

 of the New World, and the rostrum of a swordfish killed on the American 

 coast. 



The State papers of Great Britain contain many entries of interest to 

 naturalists. King James I was an enthusiastic collector. l)eceml)er 15, 

 1609, lyord vSouthanipton wrote to lyord Sali.sl)ury that he had told the 

 King of the Virginia squirrels brought into h'ngiand, which were said to 

 fly. The King very earnestly asked if none were ])ro\-ided for him — 

 whether Salisbur}' had none for him — and .said lie was siue vSalisbury 

 "Would get him one. The writer apologizes for troubling I^ord vSali.sbury, 

 "but," he continues, "nou know so well how he (the King) is affected 

 to such toys. ' ' 



Charles I appears to have been e(|ually curious in .such matters. In 

 1637 ^^^ ^Q-wX. John Tradescant, the younger, to \^irginia "to gather all 

 rarities of flowx-rs, plants, and shells." 



In 1625 we find Tradescant writing to one Nicholas that it is the Duke 

 of Buckingham's plea.sure that he should deal with all merchants from 

 all places, but especially from Virginia, Bernuidas, Newfoiuidland, Guinea, 

 the Amazons, and the East Indies for all manner of rare bea.sts, fowls 

 and birds, shells and .shining .stones, etc' 



In the Domestic Correspondence of Charles I. in another place," Jul}', 

 1625, is a " Note of things desired from Guinea, for which letters are to 

 be written to the merchants of the Guinea Company." Among other 

 items referred to are "an elephant's head with the teeth very large; a 

 river horse's head; .strange sorts of fowls; birds and fi.shes' skins; great 

 flying and sucking fi.shes; all .sorts of serpents, dried fruits, .shining stones, 

 etc." Still further on is a note of one Jeremy Blackman's charge, in all 



'Calendar of Colonial Papers, IV, 1625, p. 77. 

 = Ideni., Ill, p. 75, Nos. 155, 156. 



