Ixx LIFE OF WILSON. 



profuse perspiration, which, contrary to the maxims of the doc- 

 tors, has done me a great deal of good; and I intend to repeat 

 the dose; except that I shall leave out the ingredient of the wet 

 feet, if otherwise convenient. Were I to prescribe such a re- 

 medy to Lawson, he would be ready to think me mad. Mode- 

 rate, nay even pretty severe exercise, is the best medicine in 

 the world for sedentary people, and ought not to be neglected 

 on any account/' 



TO MR. WM. BARTRAM. 



Philadelphia, April 29, 1807. 

 "My dear sir, 



" The receipt of yours of the 1 1th inst. in which you approve 

 of my intended publication of American Ornithology, gave me 

 much satisfaction; and your promise of befriending me in the 

 arduous attempt commands my unfeigned gratitude. From the 

 opportunities I have lately had, of examining into the works of 

 Americans, who have treated of this part of our natural history, 

 I am satisfied that none of them have bestowed such minute at- 

 tention on the subject as you yourself have done. Indeed they 

 have done little more than copied your nomenclature and ob- 

 servations, and referred to your authority. To have you, there- 

 fore, to consult with in the course of this great publication I 

 consider a most happy and even auspicious circumstance; and 

 I hope you will, on all occasions, be a rigid censor, and kind 

 monitor, whenever you find me deviating from the beauties of 

 nature, or the truth of description. 



" The more I read and reflect upon the subject, the more dis- 

 satisfied I am with the specific names which have been used by 

 almost every writer. A name should, if possible, be expressive 

 of some peculiarity in colour, conformation, or habit; if it will 

 equally apply to two different species, it is certainly an impro- 

 per one. Is migratorius an epithet peculiarly applicable to the 

 robin? Is it not equally so to almost every species of turdus 

 we have? Europea has been applied by Pennant to our large 

 sitta or nuthatch, which is certainly a different species from the 



