510 Notes and Neivx. [july 



The Boston Public Garden and Common, — a green sanctuary in the 

 heart of the roaring city, — he discovered to be a favorable stopping- 

 place for migrating birds; and for a period of years he kept an accurate 

 record of the numbers and species seen there in the course of daily visits 

 during the spring and fall. A summary of his observations here, he finally 

 published in an attractive little volume entitled Birds of the Boston 

 Public Garden (Boston, 1909), — a valuable contribution to the study of 

 migration and local movements of birds. On these early-morning tours 

 of the Garden, he was often joined by other bird-lovers — men and women, 

 city-dwellers, whom he inspired with his own zeal to seek recreation and 

 profit from a brief association with birds. His kindly spirit invited all 

 interested to share with him in these walks, until of recent years it was a 

 familiar sight to those passing betimes through the Garden, to see him 

 leading an eager group of men and women from spot to spot, halting here 

 and there to focus their atention upon some feathered mite, all uncon- 

 scious among the trees or shrubs. Indeed, so many availed themselves 

 of his friendly company on these occasions that he had almost become a 

 Boston institution. Many will date their first knowledge of birds from 

 these quiet-hour observation walks with Mr. Wright. 



In 1911, he published a carefully annotated list of the 'Birds of Jeffer- 

 son Highlands,' with notes covering a considerable period of years; and 

 subsequently a valuable series of shorter contributions came from his 

 pen, dealing chiefly with the occurrence of interesting species. Of special 

 note, were two papers on the relative order in which the commoner species 

 of birds begin and end their daily song-periods in the breeding-season. 



Unassuming and gentle by nature, he yet possessed a quiet dignity and 

 a clear sincerity which at once commanded the respect and confidence of 

 all with whom he came in contact. Though he never married, he was of 

 eminently social instincts, delighting in companionship and ever thought- 

 ful of others. For him the fevered activity of modern life held no at- 

 traction; but in the serene and quiet atmosphere of scholarly pursuits he 

 found life's satisfaction. 



Glover M. Allen. 



Dr. Thomas McAdory Owen, Director of the Department of History 

 and Archives, State of Alabama, died of apoplexy at Montgomery, Ala- 

 bama, March 25, 1920. He was in the 54th year of his age, having been 

 born at Jonesboro, Alabama, December 15, 1866. Dr. Owen was a sub- 

 scriber to 'The Auk' and his name had been proposed for membership 

 in the American Ornithologists' Union. He took a deep interest in natural 

 history and as a result of this interest established under his Department a 

 local collection of mounted birds in the State Capitol. His reputation 

 as a historian was firmly established and at the time of his death he was 

 working assiduously on a Memorial History of Alabama. In connection 

 with his work on the history of the State he had planned to issue in his 



