164 THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 



tish dialect, and became a contributor to "The Bee," 

 lampooning a resident of Paisley; for which he was 

 condemned to a short term in prison, and to burn the 

 libel, with his own hand, at the Paisley cross. Dis- 

 gusted at this unappreciation of his genius, he sailed 

 from Belfast and landed at New Castle, Delaware, 

 July 14, 1794, with a few borrowed shillings in his 

 pocket, and no acquaintances in the Land of the Free. 

 At Philadelphia, he found employment with a cop- 

 per-plate printer, and later, he worked for a weaver; 

 then, as a peddler, he travelled through New Jersey, 

 where the brilliant plumage of the wild birds attracted 

 his attention. Then he returned to Pennsylvania and 

 became a school teacher, for a while, then walked 800 

 miles to visit his nephew, in New York state, returning 

 to New Jersey, where he taught school, living near 

 the botanic gardens of William Bartram, who en- 

 couraged him to study natural history. In October 

 1804, Wilson set out to make a collection of birds, 

 walking to Niagara Falls, and wrote his poem, "The 

 Foresters." 



During 1805, Wilson learned etching from a Mr. 

 Lawson, who had previously taught him to draw ; and 

 Wilson was then employed on the American edition of 

 Ree's Cyclopoedia and prevailed upon Mr. Bradford, 

 the publisher, to undertake an American Ornithology. 

 The first volume appeared in 1808, and the second in 

 early months of 1810. Then Wilson travelled down 

 the Ohio river, and overland from Memphis to New 

 Orleans and returned to Nashville, through forests 



