CORRESPONDENCE 217 



sixty-three. He was out fishing the previous Thursday 

 when he was attacked by sev^ere intestinal trouble that 

 had afflicted him for many years. His daughter told me 

 that he said he should not live. He appeared to know 

 what they were doing for him but spoke very little dur- 

 ing his sickness. We were the best of friends and I 

 shall miss his ever-welcome letters and the opportunity 

 of consulting him occasionally as has been my habit for 

 years. He had a large collection of birds and eggs, 

 many Indian relics and fish. I hope his collection will be 

 placed in Hartford. It was especially rich in local rapa- 

 cious birds. His series of rough-legs is very valuable." 

 The correspondence between Mr. Boardman and Dr. 

 Wood commenced September 20, 1864, and continued 

 until September 30, 1885. Dr. Wood wrote the first 

 letter at the suggestion of Mr. J. A. Allen, saying: 

 "My object is to open an exchange with you of skins 

 and eggs and I trust I need make no apology for address- 

 ing one engaged in the same pursuit as myself." Dr. 

 Wood particularly wants eggs and in this letter gives 

 the numbers (according to the Baird Smithsonian list) 

 of the eggs of one hundred and eleven species which he 

 has, fifty of which are of foreign birds. Mr. Boardman 

 answered this letter immediately upon its receipt, writing 

 one of the most interesting autobiographical letters he ever 

 penned, telling how he began the study of birds and 

 what he had, saying it was only within a few years that 

 he had cared for birds' eggs. "I have found quite a 

 number of good eggs this season," he writes, " but have 

 had so many visitors they have taken the most of them 

 away." Yet he writes that he has all but eight of the 

 list enclosed by Dr. Wood. 



