ornithology. He spent an Autumn 

 vacation at Shinnecock Bay in 

 quest of shore birds. He read 

 "Wake-Robin," which aroused in 

 him an emotional recognition of the 

 beauty of the wood thrush's song. 

 He learned how to prepare bird 

 skins. One day, while he was out 

 on business for the bank, he 



saw in the window of a book 

 store (I think that it was Dodd, 

 Mead & Co.) on the west side of 

 Broadway at Eighth Street, an 

 opened volume showing a frontis- 

 piece in color of the anatomy of 

 a pigeon facing a title-page which 

 read "Key to North American 

 Birds," Revised Edition, by El- 

 liott Coues. That was a memora- 

 ble day. I acquired that book, 

 and for the first time learned that 

 there were living students of 

 birds worthy successors of Wil- 

 son and Audubon. 



In spite of the American Ex- 

 change Bank of New York City and 

 its interminable drafts he was get- 

 ting on, and his enthusiasm was 

 gradually absorbing him. What fin- 

 ished him for banking was Dr. C. 

 Hart Merriam's call in Forest and 

 Stream of Jan. 24, 1884. for volun- 

 teers to observe and report on the 

 Spring migration of birds. Chap- 

 man volunteered. Dr. A. K. Fisher, 

 in charge of the Atlantic Division, 

 accepted him, and gave him the 

 required professional instruction. 

 Although the bank kept him en- 

 gaged in civil pursuits from 7:30 

 in the morning to 6 at night he 

 found time to go afield nearly every 

 day from early March to late May. 

 That is an amazing story of young 

 enthusiasm bursting the dam; long 

 as it is, it must be quoted here al- 

 most in full, for it is typical of a 

 young ornithologist's devotion to 

 one of the mendicant professions: 



Fortunately, my environment 

 permitted me to serve both 

 birds and Mammon. At this time 

 the station of West Englewood, 

 on the West Shore Railroad, dis- 

 tant about a half a mile from 



home, was in the heart of as 

 good collecting ground as there 

 was in the New York City region. 

 The woods surrounding it 

 stretched for miles north and 

 south, forming a highway for the 

 diurnal journeys of migrating 

 birds. The numerous roads and 

 farm lanes of the Phelps estate 

 made them as easily penetrable 

 as a park. A novice could not 

 have found a better place in 

 which to record the migration. 



From March 10 to May 23 fol- 

 lowing, with the exception of 

 Sundays and one day off, I went 

 through the motions of a bank 

 clerk, but for the whole period I 

 lived, thought and dreamed the 

 life of a bird student. Each 

 morning I arose at daybreak. A 

 cup of coffee, made the night be- 

 fore and heated over an alcohol 

 lamp while I dressed, helped me 

 to swallow two slices of bread. 

 Then with my gun I was off for 

 the woods. My route was planned 

 to bring me to the railroad sta- 

 tion at 7:30, when the dress of 

 the hunter was hurriedly changed 

 for that of the bank clerk and I 

 boarded the 7:39 train to begin 

 what seemed like another exis- 

 tence. 



At night, on returning from the 

 city, if time permitted, I again 

 went to the woods for a brief 

 outing before dinner. After din- 

 ner there were specimens to skin 

 and notes to write, when, with- 

 out urging, I went to bed as part 

 of the preparation for the next 

 day. * * * 



My report on the 1Q3 species re- 

 corded from the restricted West 

 Shore area was made out on the 

 blanks supplied by the Division 

 of Economic Mammalogy and 

 Ornithology (now Bureau of Bi- 

 ological Survey) of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture 

 and forwarded to Dr. Fisher. In 

 due time came his official ac- 

 knowledgment. The verdict of 

 my initial adventure in ornithol 

 ogy was in my hands. Had I suc- 

 ceeded or failed? I hesitated to 

 learn, and it was not until I had 

 reached the seclusion of the 

 orchard that I ventured to open 

 it. I recall the apple tree under 

 which I stood, when with inex- 

 pressible elation I read that my 

 report was the best one that had 

 been received from the Atlantic 

 district. 



That finished him for finance. 

 When his normal progress in the 

 banking business increased his re- 



