Burns — On Alexander Wilson. 179 



(d) American Ornithology; | or | the Natural History | of 

 the I Birds of the United States. | Illustrated with plates | en- 

 graved and coloured from original drawings taken | from na- 

 ture. I By Alexander Wilson. | — | With a sketch of the au- 

 thor's life, I by George Ord, F. L. S. &c. | — j In three vols. — 

 Vol. I [-III]. |— I Published by Collins & Co., New York, | 

 and I Harrison Hall, Philadelphia. | 1828 [-1839]. 3 vols. 

 8vo. text, and a folio atlas of plates, entitled: American Or- 

 nithology ; I or, I the Natural History | of the | Birds of the 

 United States. | — | By Alexander Wilson. [ Plates | Engraved 

 and Coloured from Original Drawings taken from Nature. | — | 

 Published by Collins & Co., New York, ! and | Harrison Hall, 

 Philadelphia. | 1829. No text except the title, consisting of 

 the original 76 colored plates. 



Vol. I, 1828, p. i title, ii entered ac. act of Congress b.v Harrison 

 Hall, proprietor, Apr. 24, 1828 ; iii-iv contents, v-vi editor's preface, 

 vii-viii preface to life of Wilson, ix-cxcix sketch of the author's life, 

 1-11 instruction incl. table of the orders and genera of birds, 13-231 

 Am. orn.. Vultures to Cuckoos. Vol. II, 1828, p. i title, ii entered, 

 etc., Aug. 1, 1828; iil-A'i contents, 9-44fi Am. orn., Woodpeckers to 

 Darters. Vol. Ill, 1829, p. i title, ii entered, etc., Apr. 27, 1829, iii- 

 vi contents, 1-377 Am. orn.. Pigeons to and inch Waterfowl, 379-392 

 general index, 393-396 names of 127 subscribers. 



This is often called the Ord edition, although Harrison Hall is 

 designated as the proprietor, and the anonymous editor acknowl- 

 edges his indebtedness to Charles L. Bonaparte for suggestions in- 

 corporated in Observations on the Nomenclature of Wilson's Orni- 

 thology, and Synopsis of the Birds of the United States, . . . but 

 principally to George Ord, Esq., the friend and associate of Wilson, 

 who has kindly afforded his valuable council and assistance, and 

 has added some highly interesting notes. Mr. Ord has likewise per- 

 mitted the words contained in his supplementary volume to be in- 

 corporated with, and his sketch of the life of Wilson to be prefixed 

 to the work. The original plates, engraved under the eye of Wilson, 

 are employed in this edition, after having been carefully examined 

 and retouched l)y Mr. Alexander Lawson, by whom most of them 

 were executed ; and who as an engraver of objects of natural his- 

 tory, stands unrivalled." 



The species are arranged in systematic order, presumably by 

 Ord. 'Ihe prospectus by Harrison Hall, preserved in the Ridgway 

 Library, contains a beautiful life-size portrait of the Rice Bunting 



