1869.] 245 [Brewer. 



of Philadelphia, died in that city, Sunday, Januaiy 10th, in 

 the fifty-seventh year of his age. 



I would that it were within the compass of my poor 

 words to express to you in language that could do full jus- 

 tice to this occasion, and present, in adequate terms of eulo- 

 gium, the great and extraordinary attainments of the bright 

 luminary in the science of ornithology which has just gone 

 out in our midst, leaving us without any equal in his depart- 

 ment of that science. In sadness which no words can de- 

 scribe — with feelings of utter loneliness and privation, we 

 mourn the departure from our woi-ld of science of one who 

 leaves none upon whom his mantle can fall. We can only 

 bow in humble submission to the inscrutable will of our 

 Heavenly Father who has been pleased thus to take fi*om ns 

 our brother in the very prime of his mature manhood. 



John Cassin was born of Quaker parentage, in Chester, 

 Pa., Sept. 6th, 1813. In 1834, at the age of twenty-one, he 

 took up his abode in Philadelphia, where he has ever since 

 resided. In his earlier life he engaged in mercantile pursuits, 

 and afterwards, for several years, held important positions 

 under the national government. At the death of Mr. 

 Bowen, the principal engraver of Philadelphia, Mr. Cassin 

 assumed the management of the establishment, which he 

 continued until his death. All the reports of explorations 

 and surveys issued by our government have been largely in- 

 debted to him for the excellence of their illustrations. 



For more than thirty years Mr. Cassin has devoted all the 

 leisui'e hours he could take from the requirements of his busi- 

 ness to the study of ornithology. Privileged to reside in 

 Philadelphia among the kindred spirits that compose its 

 Academy, yet more privileged in having access to its wealth 

 of ornithological specimens, — probably the greatest in the 

 world, — and to its even greater wealth in scientific works, 

 where is to be found, procured by the munificence of his 

 friend, the late Dr. Wilson, every known publication of any 

 value on the subject of ornithology — with all these privi- 



