66 LEADING AMERICAN MEN OF SCIENCE 



lacked the requisite strength to resist the disease and after only a 

 few days illness he died on August 23, 1813. 



The premature close of such a career was lamentable. With 

 fame just within his grasp and possibilities of various kinds before 

 him, it is difficult to say what Wilson would have accomplished 

 had he been permitted to round out his life. 



His friend Ord completed the Ornithology from the fragments 

 left by the author, probably as faithfully and as nearly in accord 

 with Wilson's ideas as it could have been done, and later published 

 several reprints. The revised editions and further populariza- 

 tion of the work, and a work on North American mammals, all of 

 which Wilson had in mind, could, however, be executed by no other 

 hand. Furthermore the existence of an ornithologist of such pre- 

 eminent ability must have exerted a decided influence upon the 

 subsequent development of scientific work in America and it is 

 impossible to say what effect his later work might have had upon 

 the productions of those who succeeded him. 



The character of Alexander Wilson, the man, may be read in 

 the outline of his life and the history of his work, but his friend 

 Ord has given us a sketch of his personality: 



" Wilson was possessed of the nicest sense of honor. In all his 

 dealings he was not only scrupulously just but highly generous. 

 His veneration for truth was exemplary. His disposition was 

 social and affectionate. His benevolence was extensive. He 

 was remarkably temperate in eating and drinking, his love of 

 study and retirement preserving him from the contaminating 

 influence of the convivial circle. But as no one is perfect, 

 Wilson in a small degree partook of the weakness of humanity. 

 He was of the genus irritabile, and was obstinate in opinion. It 

 ever gave him pleasure to acknowledge error, when the conviction 

 resulted from his own judgment alone, but he could not endure 

 to be told of his mistakes. Hence his associates had to be spar- 

 ing of their criticisms, through a fear of forfeiting his friendship. 

 With almost all his friends he had occasionally, arising from a 

 collision of opinion, some slight misunderstanding, which was 

 soon passed over, leaving no disagreeable impression. But an 

 act of disrespect he could ill brook, and a wilful injury he would 

 seldom forgive. 



