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SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XI. No. 266. 



detailed as secretary and nataralist of the 

 United States Geological and Geographical 

 Survey of the Territories, under the late 

 Dr. F. V. Hayden. In 1880 he was again 

 ordered to Arizona, but the duties of a post- 

 surgeon on the frontier were so incompatible 

 with the prosecution of the scientific work 

 he had then in hand that, failing to receive 

 a more favorable assignment, he resigned 

 his army commission in order to devote 

 his whole attention to scientific pursuits. 

 From 1881 till his death he resided in 

 Washington, making, however, in recent 

 years, several long journeys to the West 

 and Southwest to aid his editorial re- 

 searches in connection with the early ex- 

 ploration of our trans-Mississippi territory. 

 For ten years, beginning with 1877, he filled 

 the chair of Anatomy at the National Med- 

 ical College in Washington. 



Dr. Coues doubtless inherited from his 

 father, who wrote several notable specula- 

 tive works on physical science, his strong 

 love for scientific research. His residence 

 in Washington during his early years 

 brought him into close contact with the 

 late Professor Baird, of whom he was a 

 pupil and ardent admirer, and who directed 

 Coues's early ornithological efforts. His 

 very first papers, published while he was 

 still a youth of eighteen, took the form of 

 technical monographs, and would have 

 been creditable to a far more experienced 

 hand. His ' Monograph of the Tringece of 

 North America' and his ' Monograph of the 

 Genus JEgiothus, with Descriptions of New 

 Species,' both appeared in 1861, and in 

 thoroughness of research and in method of 

 presentation foreshadow the author's sub- 

 sequent eminence in the ornithological 

 field. These were quickly followed by his 

 ' Synopsis of the North American Forms of 

 Colymbidce and Podicipidce ' (1862) ; ' Re- 

 vision of the Gulls and Terns of North 

 America' (1862) ; 'Critical Review of the 

 ProcellariidcB' (1864-1866), and his ' Mon- 



ograph of the Alcidce ' (1868). In the sum- 

 mer of 1860 he made a trip to Labrador, 

 which served as the basis of his notes on 

 the ' Ornithology of Labrador' (1861), and 

 later his residence at various army posts, 

 both in the East and in the West, gave him 

 a wide field experience, which he did not 

 fail to utilize to the utmost. 



During the twenty years from 1861 to 

 1881 he published 300 works and papers, 

 mostly ornithological, and probably as many 

 more between this latter date and the 

 time of his death. Although his orni- 

 thological writings relate mainly to North 

 American birds, they also include the 

 science in its broadest sense. He also 

 published a number of special monographs 

 on various families of North American 

 mammals. His contributions to the ' Cen- 

 tury Dictionary,' representing about seven 

 years of his best work, include some 40,000 

 entries which he either edited or contrib- 

 uted, he having editorial charge of the sub- 

 jects. General Zoology, Biology, and Com- 

 parative Anatomy. Another important 

 literary undertaking that absorbed the en- 

 ergies of his later years, also outside of 

 ornithology, was the editing of the original 

 Lewis and Clark ' Journals,' Pike's ' Ac- 

 count ' of his journey to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, Fowler's ' Journal,' and Larpenteur's 

 ' Personal Narrative. ' These works are of 

 the highest interest, relating as they do to 

 the early exploration of western North 

 America, and have been edited and anno- 

 tated by Coues from the original documents, 

 with a thoroughness and minuteness of de- 

 tail that adds greatly to their value and 

 interest. 



Among Dr. Coues's more important spe- 

 cial works may be mentioned the following : 

 ' Key to North American Birds,' 1872, en- 

 tirely rewritten and republished in 1884 ; 

 ' Field Ornithology,' 1874; ' Birds of the 

 Northwest,' 1874 ; 'Fur-bearing Animals,' 

 1877 ; ' Monographs of North American 



