Burns — On Alexander Wilson. 67 



Eight persons, all told, at various times claimied to have 

 observed it in the fles-h, and at least ten specimens alleged to 

 have been collected ; yet not a single skin is extant ! Lawson 

 claimed to have worked from Wilson's specimen, and doubt- 

 less Ord would have produced it at the rooms of the Amer- 

 ican Philosophical Society in 18-JO, had it been possible to do 

 so. Of Wilson's types, all but the two now in the vaults of 

 the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, were unfor- 

 tunately destroyed many years -ago by fire at the Peale 

 Museum. 



The original describer introduces his remarks with " This 

 very rare species, the only one I ever met with, is drawn, 

 reduced to half its size, to correspond with the rest of the 

 figures on the same plate." And since writing the description 

 of the type, Wilson adds that he has shot several individuals 

 in various quarters of New Jersey, particularly in swamps. 

 They all appear to be nearly alike in plumage. Having found 

 them in June, there is no doubt of their breeding in that State, 

 and probably in such situations far to the southward ; for 

 many of the southern summer birds that rarely visit Pennsyl- 

 vania, are yet common in the swamps and pine woods of New 

 Jersey. Similarity of soil and situation, of plants and trees, 

 and consequently of fruits, seeds, insects, etc., are doubtless 

 their inducements. The Summer Redbird, Great Carolina 

 Wren, Pine-creeping Warbler, and many others, are rarely 

 seen in Pennsylvania or to the northward though they are 

 common in many parts of West Jersey." Conditions well 

 recognized today. 



Singularly enough, Wilson does not mention under the 

 proper heading, of liaving found this subsequently described 

 Pine-creeping Warbler in other than the pine woods of the 

 Southern States. It is altogether possible that in his eager- 

 ness for new material, he failed to save the New Jersey 

 specimens and not at all improbable that they would have all 

 been referable to the Pine Warbler, rather than to our sub- 

 ject to which it bears a superficial resemblance. Audubon 

 gives the impression of having seen a number, though stating 

 that it is an uncommon bird ; but this statement may also 



