j'g^ I Elliot, George Newbold Lawrence. J 



that dominated the period in which they unitedly labored. In 

 1869, in the midst of his powers, when it seemed there might be 

 many years of profitable work yet in store, Cassin passed away, 

 followed later by Baird, with labors more completely finished ; 

 and now it has fallen to my lot, who, when I first became 

 acquainted with these celebrated men, was regarded by them but 

 as an enthusiastic boy, to pay such tribute as I may to Lawrence 

 who has laid down his pen after accomplishing the fullness of his 

 years, his labors completely ended. 



For the first ten years or so of his literary work, Lawrence was 

 engaged in investigating the birds of the United States, and 

 describing new • forms, and his labors in the avifauna north of 

 Mexico largely ceased with the completion of his portion of the 

 ninth volume of the Pacific Railroad Reports, the fruit of the 

 joint labors of Baird, Cassin, and Lawrence. This work created 

 a revolution in the technicalities and methods of American orni- 

 thology, sweeping away all the old land-marks, and introducing a 

 new era, a new system, and practically a new science. Lawrence's 

 part in this great work was restricted to such of the water birds as 

 were comprised in the Longipennes, Totipalmi, and Brachypteri. 

 From this year, 1858, to the end of his scientific career, Lawrence 

 devoted himself mainly to the birds of Central and South America, 

 Cuba and the West India Islands, and he published continuously 

 for nearly fifty years, his last paper appearing in 'The Auk,' in 

 January, 1891. During his active scientific life he published in all 

 one hundred and twenty-one papers, and described three hundred 

 and twenty-three species as new, most of which have stood the test 

 of subsequent investigation. In his work he showed much patient 

 research, was slow to arrive at a conclusion, careful in all his 

 comparisons, diligent in seeking his authorities, ever ready and 

 willing to receive suggestions, and to acknowledge any error he 

 might inadvertently have committed. Man is born to commit 

 errors. I think naturalists are more convinced of that fact than 

 any other class, but those who admit having done so are the 

 exceptions, and therefore entitled to the more honor. 



Lawrence's writings were mainly confined to the description of 

 new forms, or lists of the birds in certain localities, and he never 

 attempted monographic essays, or to embody his views and the 



