BRITISH ZOOLOGISTS. 127 



superb volume was presented to the public, their delight 

 was equalled only by their astonishment that America, as 

 yet in its infancy, should produce an original work in 

 science, which could vie in its essentials with the proudest 

 productions of a similar nature of the European world.' 



The remaining years of Wilson's too short life were 

 occupied principally with the preparation of the conclud- 

 ing volumes of his great work. When not busily engaged 

 on this, he was often away, for months together, on long 

 and toilsome excursions, in search of * birds and sub- 

 scribers.' In these journeys, he travelled over a large 

 part of the United States, and underwent many hardships. 

 Many of the incidents of his travels are recounted in 

 his letters to his friends, which also contain numerous 

 exceedingly interesting observations on the condition of 

 the United States at that time, the social habits of the 

 people, and other cognate matters. These letters are most 

 interesting reading, but they do not lend themselves to 

 extraction or quotation, and they must be read in their 

 entirety by those who would like to follow the adventurous 

 naturalist in his wanderings. 



In the intervals between his excursions, Wilson applied 

 himself unremittingly to the publication of the successive 

 volumes of his work; and in the beginning of 1813 the 

 seventh volume made its appearance. He was in hopes 

 that the eighth volume would complete the undertaking, but 

 he was not destined to see the end of his labours. Too 

 severe application to his self-imposed task had impaired 

 his health, and he was seized with an attack of dysentery, 

 which in a few days terminated fatally. He died on the 

 23d of August 1813, in the forty-eighth year of his age. 



