76 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 8-No. 10 



ALEX. WILSON. 



We give above a portrait of Alexander 

 Wilson " the American ornithologist," 

 which we have taken from C. W. Webber's 

 Wild Scenes and Wild Hunters, published 

 by J. B. Lippincott & Co., Phila., 1865. 

 Mr. Webber was a most enthusiastic ad- 

 mirer of Audubon. He also admired Wil- 

 son, but never as much as Audubon. On 

 no account would he admit that Wilson 

 was Audubon's equal. The reputation of 

 the illustrious Audubon was safe in his 

 hands at least. He spoke of them always 

 as "Hunter Naturahsts." 



We have tried to find the origin of the 

 above portrait, but without success. It 

 bears a strong resemblance to Barralet's, 

 which is admitted by all to be the best one 

 yet produced of Wilson, but to our way 

 of thinking Barralet's portrait is too much 

 dressed — too stiff for a naturalist. Cer- 

 tainly the inventory of Wilson's wardrobe 

 left behind would indicate that he never 

 owned as much clothing at one time as 

 Barralet dresses him in. While preserv- 

 ing the features and profile of Wilson 

 there is no doubt but what Barralet 

 strained a point to make his friend appear 

 fully as well as he ever did in life. Who- 

 ever is the author of the above portrait 

 evidently realized the defects in Barralet's 

 portrait and attempted to remedy them. 



Wilson staid in the city from necessity 

 alone, never from choice; his giui and the 

 woods were his delight. The gun which 

 Wilson carries in the portrait we have 

 every reason to believe adorns our Sanc- 

 tum where we write these notes, as the 

 following certificate will prove : 



[COPT.] 



M'^ESTCHESTEE, Penn., Feb, 22, 'T9. 

 Jos. M. Wade, Esq., 



Dear Sir — The gun I send you belonged to Alexander 

 Wilson, the American ornithologist, and after In's death in- 

 to the possession of Wm. P. Turnbull, author of a work on 

 the Birds of Eastern United States. At his decease I pur- 

 chased this gun, with some letters, drawings, powder-horn, 

 &c., of Wilson's, from his wife. 



Thus you have this gun in a direct and well authenticated 

 line until in your possession. Yours, truly, 

 WILLIS P. HAZARD, 



Author of Annals of Phila., &c., &c. 



We have also over half of Wilson's 

 original drawings, including the first one 

 ever drawn in colors by him, and present- 

 ed to Mrs. Lawson, the wife of Alexander 

 Lawson, the engraver of the plates for 

 his work, and so inscribed. Besides 

 these we have a large number of his 

 drawings that have never been given to 

 the public, as well as a good many of his 

 letters, many of which have never been 



published. 



^. 



Laege Sets of Eggs. Song Sparrow, 6 ; 

 Maryland Yellow-throat, 6 ; Crow, 6 ; Least 

 Tern, 4 ; Wilson's Tern, 4 ; Quail, 18 ; and 

 Great-crested Flycatcher, 7. — A. IT. Ilelme. 



Boat-tailed Grackle. — Where is the 

 northern limit of this bird's habitat ? They 

 are common in the ChesajDeake Bay in 

 suitable localities as far north as Kent Co., 

 Md. My friend E. G. Nicewaner has col- 

 lected a number of sets of eggs at Pomona 

 in the latter county. Fish Crows are also 

 common there. — Edgar A. Small, Ha- 

 gerstown, Md. 



List of Birds of Bardstown, Kentucky, 

 containing 167 varieties extracted from 

 the journal of the Cincinnati Society of 

 Natural History, Vol. VI. 1883, by Chas. 

 W. Beckham. 



Our scientific ornithologists met in con- 

 vention in N. Y. last month to try and har- 

 monize the nomenclature of our N. A. birds. 



