Burns — On Alexander Wilson. 169 



of James Grant Wilson's "Poets and Poetry of Scotland," 

 which contains some original matter from Horace Binney, an 

 eminent lawyer of Philadelphia. 



Some years prior to this, the later Joseph M. Wade, editor 

 at one time or another of Familiar Science and Fanciers' Jour- 

 nal, Truths of Nature. Ornithologist and Oologist, P'ibre and 

 Fabric, and the Boston Journal of Commerce, began the ac- 

 cumulation of an astonishing amount of published and unpub- 

 lished matter relating to our pioneer ornithologists. He not 

 only possessed practically all editions of Wilson's poetical and 

 ornithological works, biographies, etc., but the author's own 

 set of the American Ornithology — unbound sheets inter- 

 leaved with the original manuscript ; also a large part of the 

 original drawings, of which some show the rubbing process by 

 which they were transferred to the engraver's block ; many 

 unpublished letters, a few unpublished poems, receipt book, 

 manuscript prospectus for a proposed edition of his Ornith- 

 ology in octavo, and other matter, includin.g drawings of that 

 famous old Grey's Ferry schoolhouse, the adjoining old black- 

 smith shop, and portrait of the lady with whom he boarded. 

 He had even acquired Wilson's collecting gun! Dr. Coues 

 attests to the wealth of this collection in his "Behind the Veil," 

 Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, 1880. This per- 

 sistent search and steady accumulation of material was avow- 

 edly for a definite purpose. Tt had long been a hobby, and, in- 

 deed, a mania, with Wade, and he v^^as so intensely interested 

 in anything appertaining to Wilson that he once declared him 

 to be without an equal ! From time to time — 1880- to 1893 — 

 there appeared first in the old Oologist, and afterward in the 

 Ornithologist and Oologist, a few lines, a paragraph or a col- 

 umn, as an earnest of something better; yet the true life of 

 Alexander Wilson seemed indefinitely delayed. 



On November 2nd. 1890, Henry D. Minot, the talented or- 

 nithological writer and ardent admirer of Wilson, made ar- 

 rangements with his venerable friend whereby this vaUiable 

 material was to come into his possession as soon as the trans- 

 fer could be made : it beinsf Minot's desire and intention to 



