42 MEMOIR OP 



which, after the usual displays of Prospectuses, 

 Advertisements, &c. &c., he was enabled with ex- 

 traordinary exertions to bring out the first volume 

 as a specimen, the superb appearance of which 

 dazzled the lovers of the Fine Arts, as much as 

 the literary department charmed Wilson's most de- 

 voted admirers; such a performance, emanating 

 from the American Press, was esteemed the more 

 wonderful, seeing it was the production of a coun- 

 try yet almost altogether in its infancy. The 

 Work, as might be supposed, met with appro- 

 bation and success far beyond his most sanguine 

 hopes, which decided him on undertaking several 

 very extensive and fatiguing journeys in search of 

 new subscribers, and also additional materials for 

 its completion, but which our limits will not per- 

 mit us to give in detail. We cannot, however, 

 proceed much farther with this memoir, without 

 laying before our readers a portion of one of his 

 excellent descriptions, in his own words, as an 

 example of that happy style, which has the great 

 merit of uniting both elegance and interest with 

 perfect scientific detail. 



" BLUE JA.Y.COKVUS CRIST ATUS. 



" This elegant bird, which, as far as I can learn, 

 is peculiar to North America, is distinguished as a 

 kind of beau among the feathered tenants of our 

 woods, by the brilliancy of his dress; and, like 

 most other coxcombs, makes himself still more con- 



