i8g6 ln ] Faxon, Abbofs Drawings of Georgia Birds. 211 



to America about 1790 and returned to England about 1810. 

 This accords with the water-mark dates, which include various 

 years from 1 79 1 to 18 10 inclusive. The extreme dates occur 

 on the insect plates in the Boston Society of Natural History. 

 The water-marks in the set of bird drawings are three: "J. 

 Whatman, 1801 " (22 plates), "Edmeads and Pine, 1802" (22 

 plates), and "S C, 1804" (8 plates). It is pretty certain, 

 therefore, that the birds were drawn between 1800 and 18 10. 

 The final arrangement, enumeration, and identification of the 

 figures % were somewhat later, as is proved by citations of the 

 sixth volume of Wilson's Ornithology, which was not published 

 till 1S12. 



From an artistic point of view, these plates, although not so 

 exquisitely elaborated as Abbot's insect drawings, are admirable. 

 While the accessories are rather quaint and old-fashioned, the 

 birds themselves, though unequal in finish, are for the most part 

 accurately drawn and skilfully colored. In the simplicity and 

 even monotony of the postures they recall Wilson's work rather 

 than the more spirited figures of Audubon. In many ways 

 these drawings evince Abbot's remarkable keenness of observa- 

 tion. Sexual and seasonal phases of plumage, so diverse as to 

 be mistaken for specific differences by the earlier ornithologists, 

 were understood by Abbot. Thus, on Plate 112 the male 

 Black-throated Blue Warbler is joined with his sober-suited 

 mate, although Wilson and many of his followers put them 

 asunder. In other cases, nice subspecific distinctions, not 

 recognized till lately by ornithologists, are unmistakably indi- 

 cated in these drawings. Doubtless Abbot supposed them to 

 be diversities of sex or age, but they bear witness all the same 

 to his close discrimination. In only one instance is the artist 

 guilty of a flagrant error. Plate 171 represents a Sanderling 

 with a hind toe ! It is inconceivable to anyone who has care- 

 fully studied the whole collection of drawings that Abbot him- 

 self was responsible for such a blunder. Swainson says that 

 Abbot found it expedient to employ one or two assistant artists, 

 whose copies he retouched. I am disposed to think that an 

 assistant living on the sea-coast made color sketches of some 

 of the shore and sea birds and that Abbot reproduced these 



