^"Ig^'^'] ^e<:e«/ Literature. 397 



Boardman's 'The Naturalist of the Saint Croix. 'i — ' The Auk ' for April, 

 1901 (XVIII, p. 219), contained a brief notice of the late Mr. George A. 

 Boardman, for many years an Associate Member of the American Orni- 

 thologists' Union, having been elected in 18S3, at the founding of the 

 Union. In the present volume we have a detailed memoir, including 

 extracts from his correspondence, with letters from several prominent 

 ornithologists to him. The memoir gives first an account of the Board- 

 man ancestry, followed by a description of the valley of the St. Croix 

 River, the business interests of which he did so much to develop, and 

 which was the principal scene of his natural history work. Then fol- 

 lows, in separate chapters, an account of his business and domestic life, 

 his work as a naturalist, the closing years at his home at Calais, a 

 description of the Boardman collection, some of the scientific results of 

 his life work, and further chapters on his personal characteristics, testi- 

 monials of appreciation from prominent naturalists, and extracts from 

 his correspondence. The book concludes with lists of the vertebrates of 

 the St. Croix valley, and short extracts from Mr. Boardman's natural 

 history writings, in illustration of their character. 



Mr. Boardman was "one of the pioneer field naturalists of the United 

 States," an intimate friend of Baird, Brewer, Lawrence, and other orni- 

 thologists who haved "passed on," and of others who still remain, to 

 whom collectively this memoir "is respectfully and lovingly dedicated." 

 Between the Baird and Boardman families there was close intimacy for 

 many years, which terminated only with the death of Professor Baird. 



Mr. Boardman had very scanty school advantages, but became a very 

 successful business man, and possessed personal traits that endeared him 

 to a wide circle of friends. As a lumber merchant and lumber manu- 

 facturer he quite early in life acquired a competence, and was thus able 

 to devote his later years to field work in natural historj- and to travel. 

 He visited California, spent seventeen winters in Florida, and several 

 seasons in Minnesota. The history of his life is here judiciously and 

 simply told, and forms a narrative so replete with personal incident as to 

 be little short of fascinating, especially to those who knew Mr. Boardman 

 personally and his naturalist friends here mentioned ; and also to all 

 those of kindred tastes and sympathies. It is a record of personal history 

 well worthy of the permanent form here given, containing, as it does, 

 much of special interest relating to the natural history, and especially the 

 ornithologj", of Maine and Florida in times now long past. There are a 



1 The I Naturalist | of the Saint Croix | Memoir of | George A. Boardman 

 I A selection from his correspondence | and published writings, notices of 

 friends | and contemporaries with his | List of the Birds of Maine and New 

 Brunswick | By | Samuel Lane Boardman, M. S. | University of Maine, 

 Honorary, 1899 | Bangor | Privately printed | 1903 — 8vo, pp. xv-(-3ii, and 

 25 pll. (Edition, 500 copies, for private distribution.) 



