44 



THE OOLOGJST. 



Spinus lawreneei, Cassin, Lawrence's 



Goldfinch. 

 Helminthophila lawreneei. Herkick, 

 Lawrence's Warbler (No. 20. A. O. 

 U. Hyp. list). 



In addition to the above, sixteen 

 other siDceies, chielly Mexican, West 

 Indian and South American, liave 

 been named in his honor. Below we 

 give a biographical sketch of Mr. L. in 

 full as published in Mr. L. S. Foster's 

 "The Published W'ritings of George 

 Newbold Lawrence, 1844-1891. "=< Our 

 picture of Mr. Lawrence is a reproduc- 

 tion of a steel plate in this same work. 



Mr. Lawrence's published writings. in 

 accordance to Mr. Foster's Bibliograph- 

 ical and Chronological catalogue, num- 

 ber one hundred and twenty -one (121). 



Spencer F. Baird, who has aptly been 

 considered the Nestor ef American or- 

 nithologists, possessed, besides the ca- 

 pacity for organization, the power of 

 guiding as well as enkindling enthusi- 

 asm. 



Fortunate was it for ornithological 

 science when, in 1841, Prof. Baird and 

 Mr. (ieorge N. Lawrence formed an ac- 

 quaintanceship, which soon ripened in- 

 to a close and lasting intimacy. Stim- 

 ulated by this, Mr. Lawrence then com- 

 menced the scientific study of birds. 

 From his earliest recollection, however, 

 birds had attracted him and he had 

 paid considerable attention to them. 



George Newbold Lawrence was born 

 in the city of New York, where he has 

 always resided, on October 20, 180B. 

 His parents were both of English stock; 

 his father's ancestors, coming to this 

 country in 1635, finally settled in New 

 York, and those on his mother's side lo- 

 cated in Burlington County, N. J. in 

 168L 



His business career was an active and 

 successful one, he having at the early age 

 of twenty entered into a partnership, 

 with his father and others, in the whole- 

 sale drug business in New York City. 

 In this he continued for thirty-six years, 

 devoting assiduously his spare time to 

 ornithology. In his earlier efforts to 

 preserve bird-skins he endeavored to 

 do so without removing the body of the 



* Bulletin of the United States National Mus- 

 eum, No. 40. Biljliographies of American Nat- 

 urali.sts: IV. The Published Writings of 

 Georfe Newbold Lawrence. 1844-1891, by L. S. 

 Poster, Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 

 1893. 



bird, lacking a=! yet the council of a. 

 skilled taxidermist. This indicates 

 that he felt an iiTesistil)le spur to ac- 

 tion, the impelling force of all earnest 

 souls. 



Repeatedly he was of service to the 

 Smithsonian Insitutiou in the details of" 

 outfitting expeditions for field work, 

 and in many ways aided Prof. Baird in 

 scientific matters. He took the inita- 

 tive in oi'gaui/ing the Ober expedition 

 to the Lesser Antilles. 



He became a near neighbor of John 

 James Audubon at about the close of 

 the life of that illustrious naturalist, 

 and was very familliar with his sons 

 Vi(;tor and John. For the many years 

 covered by his activity in ornithology 

 he has couducied an extensive corres- 

 pondence, embracing most of the na- 

 turalists throughout the world, partic- 

 ularly those interested in ornithology. 



His collection of bird-skins of great 

 scientific value, numi)eriug about 8,000 

 specimens, and containing some 300 

 types of new species of birds, was de- 

 posited in the American Museum of Na- 

 tural History, New York City, in May, 

 1887. 



He joined The Lyceum of Natural 

 History in the City of New York in 

 1845, and now is a member,a fellow and 

 a patron of its successor. The New York 

 Academy of Sciences. Upon the orga- 

 nization of The American Ornitholo- 

 gists' LTnion, in 1883, he became an ac- 

 tive member, and at its Eight Congress, 

 Movember, 1890, he was elected an hon- 

 orary member. Of the Linnjvan So- 

 ciety of New York, he likewise is an 

 hononarv inember, having been chosen 

 as such April 13, 1878. The British Or- 

 uithologi-ts' Union made him a foreign 

 member in 1872, anil he is also connect- 

 ed with a large number of kindred so- 

 cieties in th s and other conutnes 



Throughout his scientific career Mr.. 

 Lawrence has commanded the confi- 

 dence and respect of all of his contem- 

 poraries, with many of whom he has 

 formed cordial friendships, and it is 

 with amazement that we considpr the 

 long list of great names, from Vieillot 

 to the present time, that since the birth 

 of Mr. Lawrence have impressed indelib^ 

 ly the brilliancy of their splendid geni- 

 us on American ornithology. Wilson, 

 Audubon, Bonaparte, Brewer, Nuttall, 

 Baird, Cassin, Girand.DeKay, and many 

 more have come, and passed on, during 

 the stretch of one life. Of a verity 

 American ornithological science has. 

 been favored in its leaders during the- 

 last fourscore years. 



