Burns — On Alexander Wilson. SJ 



nature, did not stop to consider that it was possible for 

 Wilson to have found out this fact for himself ; and further- 

 more it will be noted that this is about the only intimation 

 extant of the latter being a closet naturalist. Quoting from 

 Wilson's American Ornithology under the head of the above 

 species: "A few sometimes make their appearance in the 

 marshes of Cape May (New Jersey) in December, particular- 

 ly on and near Egg Island, where they are known by the 

 name of Storks. ■ The younger birds are easily distinguished 

 from the rest by the brownness of their plumage. Some 

 linger in these marshes the whole winter, setting out north 

 about the time the ice breaks up. '•' '^ * On the tenth of Febru- 

 ary (1809) I met with several near the Waccaman river, in 

 South Carolina ; I also saw a flock at the ponds near Louis- 

 ville, Kentucky, on the twentieth of March (1810). * * * The 

 vast marshy flats of Siberia are inhabited by a crane very 

 much resembling the present, with the exception of the bill 

 and legs being red ; like those of the present, the year old 

 birds are said to be tawny." Under the date of March "21st" 

 (20th), the following extract from Wilson's diary is brief and 

 to the point : "Went out shooting this afternoon with Mr. 

 A(udubon), saw a number of Sandhill Cranes." According 

 to Ord, Wilson never saw the real Sandhill Crane, so the 

 above must apply to Grits aniericaiiiis, Whooping Crane, al- 

 though there seems no doubt that his friend Bartram identi- 

 fied two distinct species in Florida which he called Griis 

 pratenses and Griis claiiiator. Audubon mixed the adult and 

 young of the two species in almost inextricable confusion at 

 the very time he published his cry of stolen knowledge. It 

 appears from Audubon's Journal that he informed Wilson 

 that he had no intentions of publishing ; at his request loaned 

 him a few of his drawings during his stay, hunted in company 

 and procured him specimens of birds he had never before 

 seen ; and finally offered him his drawings merely on the con- 

 dition that what he had drawn or might afterward draw and 

 send to him, should be mentioned in his work as coming from 

 Audubon; to this Wilson made no reply, and soon after left 

 Louisville on his way to New Orleans, "little suspecting how 



