ALEXANDER WILSON. 



95 



and open, which can find itself at home by an Indian fire in the 

 depth of the woods, as well as in the best apartment of the 

 civilized [world], I have at present a real design of becoming 

 a traveller. But I am miserably deficient in many acquire- 

 ments absolutely necessary for such a character. Botany, 

 mineralogy, and drawing I most ardently wish to be instructed 

 in, and with these I should fear nothing." How oblivious to 

 matters of detail his enthusiasm made him can be judged, 

 Ord * remarks, from the fact that at this time Wilson's avail- 

 able cash amounted to seventy-five cents. 



Two of the birds which he shot in New York, one being the 

 Canada jay, were unknown to Wilson's associates. He made 

 careful drawings of them, and got Mr. Bartram to send them to 

 President Jefferson, whom Wilson much admired. The Presi- 

 dent, who was quite an amateur naturalist, replied with a very 

 appreciative letter, in which he put Wilson on the track of a 

 certain sweet-singing and very unapproachable bird. He had 

 " followed it for miles without ever, but once, getting a good 

 view of it," and had for twenty years tried to get a specimen, 

 without success. "After many inquiries and unwearied re- 

 search," says Ord, " it turned out that this invisible musician 

 was no other than the wood robin, a bird which, if sought for 

 in those places which it affects, may be seen every hour of the 

 day." The next summer Wilson announced to Bartram his de- 

 termination to make a collection of drawings of the birds of 

 Pennsylvania, and sent him twenty-eight for criticism. The 

 scope of his undertaking was extended, within a few months, 

 so as to include the whole United States. He had planned an 

 expedition down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers for the sum- 

 mer of 1806 with Bartram; but the latter, who was nearly sev- 

 enty years old, gave up the idea. Wilson, who had heard that 

 explorers were to be sent by the Government up the Red and 

 Arkansas Rivers, through the recently acquired Territory of 

 Louisiana, then offered himself to President Jefferson for this 

 service, " Mr. Wilson," says Ord, "was particularly anxious to 

 accompany Pike, who commenced his journey from the canton- 

 ment on the Missouri, for the sources of the Arkansas, etc., on the 

 i5th of July, 1806." But no reply was made to his application. 



* Life of Alexander Wilson, by George Ord, in volume ix of the Ameri- 

 can Ornithology. 



