BRITISH ZOOLOGISTS. 12$ 



him not to make any engagements which would bind 

 him to the ' unworthy soil ' of America, and looking 

 forward to a speedy return to Scotland. 



Things were now to go somewhat more smoothly with 

 Wilson, and the beginning of a better time was ushered 

 in by his obtaining a post as schoolmaster at Gray's Ferry, 

 on the Schuylkill River, about four miles from Philadelphia. 

 Here he made acquaintance with William Bartram,'* who 

 kept a botanic garden on the western bank of the Schuyl- 

 kill, and was a good naturalist. Bartram introduced 

 Wilson to the study of natural history, and induced him 

 to use his pencil as a draughtsman of birds and other 

 natural objects. This proved the germ of what soon 

 became the one overmastering passion of his life, and 

 inspired him with the idea of illustrating the ornithology 

 of the United States. He now spent all his spare time 

 in studying natural history, in improving himself as a 

 draughtsman, in adding to his collections, and in making 

 excursions for the purpose of increasing his store of know- 

 ledge as to the habits of the birds of America. He even 

 learned, with the help of his friend Mr Lawson, who was 

 himself an engraver, to put his plates on the copper with 

 his Own hands. It need hardly be said that the zeal 

 which he displayed in his ornithological pursuits proved 

 by no means beneficial to his school ; and the prospect 

 of his being able to carry out his design of preparing a 

 work on the birds of the United States seemed further off 

 than ever. He proposed to his friend Lawson, in 1806, to 

 join him in the production of such a work ; but the latter 



* William Bartram was the son of John Bartram, M.D., a naturalist. He was 

 the author of 'Travels in North and South Carolina,' c., Philadelphia, 1791. 



