104 Thomas Mayo Brewer. 



scope and character ; but, in addition to the topics thus indicated, 

 the work gives a pretty full exposition of the breeding habits of 

 the species treated, so far as then known, and also full tables of 

 synonymy. Owing to the great cost of the illustrations, the work 

 was not continued beyond the first part, which treats of the Birds 

 of Prey, the Swifts, Swallows, Goatsuckers, and Kingfishers. This 

 work, until within the last year, was the only special treatise extant 

 on the subject to which it relates, and will ever hold the place of a 

 standard work. It is, moreover, a work which brought to its author 

 great credit, and through which he became widely known as an 

 ornithologist. 



In 1874 appeared "A History of North American Birds," under 

 the joint authorship of S. F. Baird, T. M. Brewer, and R. Ilidgway, 

 in three quarto volumes, devoted to the "Land Birds." To this 

 work the whole of the biographical part, forming probably two thirds 

 of the letter-press, was contributed by Dr. Bi'ewer, and throughout 

 evinces the hand of the expert in all that relates to his special 

 department of a work which marks an era in the history of North 

 Amei'ican ornithology. He has left the manuscript for the comple- 

 tion of his share of this great work, the final revision of which he 

 had but just completed at the time of his death. He had also 

 accumulated a large amovmt of material for the contemplated con- 

 tinuation of his "North American Oology." His collection of eggs, 

 carefully selected during a long series of years, is doubtless one of 

 the best private oological collections extant. By a provision of his 

 will this collection is left to the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 



Socially Dr. Brewer was greatly esteemed ; his warm sympathy, 

 his loyalty to friends and to his convictions of truth and duty, were 

 marked traits in his character. Removed suddenly, and when there 

 were apparently years of activity and leisure before him for research, 

 his loss to science is not easily replaced. 



He was married in 1849 to Miss Sally R. Coffin, daughter of Mr. 

 Stephen Coffin, of Damariscotta, Me. ; she and one daughter survive 

 him. The loss of a son, who died at an early age, cast over his 

 domestic life a shadow which never entirely passed away. — Eds. 



