CHAPTER VI 



THE BOARDINIAN COIiLECTION 



THE final disposition of his natural history collections 

 must have been a subject of much thought during 

 the latter 3-ears of Mr. Boardnian's life. It had been 

 built up during many years of constant and loving effort 

 and at great cost, while it had reached such proportions 

 that it was one of the largest private collections of 

 ornithology in the United States, embracing not only the 

 birds of all parts of our own country but many of those of 

 the West Indies, of South America, of Alaska, of Europe 

 and of the more arctic regions of Greenland, Eapland 

 and Russia. Most of the individual specimens had been 

 obtained by himself and skinned and mounted by his own 

 hands, or b)'' exchange with the most eminent naturalists. 

 He knew the particular history of each one. In his 

 exchanges with scientific friends in this countrj^ and 

 abroad he had obtained man}- rare specimens and w^as 

 familiar with ever}^ bird, nest and egg in the collection. 

 His love for it was great and each specimen and object 

 had a dear and warm place in his heart. It can readily 

 be understood, therefore, that its ultimate resting place 

 was a matter about which Mr. Boardman had given 



