4 The Wilson Bulletin — No. G3. 



Wilson has almost invariably appeared at a great disad- 

 vantage whenever placed in opposition to Audnbon, even 

 some of his greatest admirers, without due consideration of 

 all the facts, have taken it for granted that he was altogether 

 at fault, and cravenly hinted at his lowly birth and lack of 

 opportunities in justification! It seems a great pity that those 

 two remarkable men, so' unlike in temperament and in every- 

 thing except their love and devotion to Nature, could not have 

 met in good fellowship on that common ground.- To think 

 of there being but two active ornithologists in all the country, 

 each unconscious of the other's existence until a fortuitous 

 meeting should reveal one to the other and start a quarrel of 

 so many decades duration. Of Wilson — the Scotch-American 

 — the very worst that could be said of him is that he was "a 

 poor weaver, suffering from the many blights that had fallen 

 upon his class in a land where the amenities of civilization 

 had not done much to soften the manners of the working 

 classes." ^ "Not accustomed tO' polished society in his earlier 

 days ; and, as he was conscious of possessing powers greatly 

 superior to those of the laborers with whom he associated, 

 his manners, like those of Robert Burns, probably became 

 somewhat impatient and overbearing." - 



"As a poet he missed greatness by those limitations of 

 passion which seem so sad and unaccountable ; as a natural- 

 ist, he achieved it by patience that knew no limitations until 

 death interposed." ^ 



"Of middle stature, thin, cheek-bones projecting, eyes 

 though hollow, displaying considerable vivacity and intelli- 

 gence ; sallow complexion, a dash of vulgarity in his physi- 

 ognomy which struck the observer at first view, but which 

 failed to impress one on acquaintance." * By turns a poverty- 

 stricken weaver, indorsing his indentures with the following : 



^Buchanan's Life of Audubon. 

 -Peabody's Life of Wilson. 

 ^Coues' Key to North American Birds. 

 *Ord's Life of Wilson. 



