44 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Spinus lawrencei, Cassin, Lawrence's 



Goldfinch. 

 Helminthophila lawrencei, Herrick, 

 Lawrence's Warbler (No. 20. A. O. 

 U. Hyp. list). 



In addition to the above, sixteen 

 other species, chiefly Mexican, West 

 Indian and South American, have 

 been named in his honor. Below we 

 give a biographical sketch of Mr. L. in 

 full as published in Mr. L. S. Foster's 

 "The Published Writings of George 

 Newbokl Lawrence, 1844-1891."* Our 

 picture of Mr. Lawrence is a reproduc- 

 tion of a steel plate in this same work. 



Mr. Lawrence's published writings, in 

 accordance to Mr. Foster's Bibliograph- 

 ical and Chronological catalogue, num- 

 ber one hundred and twenty-one (121). 



Spencer F. Baird, who has aptly been 

 considered the Nestor of American or- 

 nithologists, possessed, besides the ca- 

 pacity for organization, the power of 

 guiding as well as enkindling enthusi- 

 asm. 



Fortunate was it for ornithological 

 science when, in 1841, Prof. Baird and 

 Mr. George N. Lawrence formed an ac- 

 quaintanceship, which soon ripened in- 

 to a close aud lasting intimacy. Stim- 

 ulated by this. Mr. Lawrence then com- 

 menced the scientific study of birds. 

 From his earliest recollection, however, 

 birds had attracted him and he had 

 paid considerable attention to them. 



George Newbokl Lawrence was born 

 in the city of New York, where he has 

 always resided, on October 20, 1806. 

 His parents were both of English stock; 

 his father's ancestors, coming to this 

 country in 1635, finally settled in New 

 York, and those on his mother's side lo- 

 cated in Burlington County, N. J. in 

 1681. 



His business career was an active aud 

 successful one, he having at the early age 

 of twenty entered into a partnership, 

 with his father and others, in the whole- 

 sale drug business in New York City. 

 In this he continued for thirty-six years, 

 devoting assiduously his spare time to 

 ornithology. In his earlier efforts to 

 preserve bird-skins he endeavored to 

 do so without removing the body of the 



* Bulletin of the United States National Mus- 

 eum, No. 40. Bibliographies of American Nat- 

 uralists: IV. The Published Writings of 

 George Newbold Lawrence. 1844-1891, by L. S. 

 Foster, Washington, Smithsonian Institution, 

 1892. 



bird, lacking as yet the council of a. 

 skilled taxidermist. This indicates 

 that he felt an irresistible spur to ac- 

 tion, the impelling force of all earnest 

 souls. 



Repeatedly he was of service to the 

 Smithsonian Insitution in the details of 

 outfitting expeditions for field work, 

 and in many ways aided Prof. Baird in 

 scientific matters. He took the inita- 

 tive in organizing the Ober expedition 

 to the Lesser Autilles. 



He became a near neighbor of John 

 James Audubon at about the close of 

 the life of that illustrious naturalist, 

 and was very familliar with his sons- 

 Victor and John. For the many years, 

 covered, by his activity in ornithology 

 he has conducted an extensive corres- 

 pondence, embracing most of the na- 

 turalists throughout the world, partic- 

 ularly those interested iu ornithology. 



His collection of bird-skins of great 

 scientific value, numbering about 8,000- 

 specimens, and containing some 300 

 types of new species of birds, was de- 

 posited in the American Museum of Na- 

 tural History, New York City, iu May, 

 1887. 



He joined The Lyceum of Natural 

 History in the City of New York in 

 1845, and now is a member, a fellow and 

 a patron of its successor. The New York 

 Academy of Sciences. Upon the orga- 

 nization of The American Ornitholo- 

 gists' Union, in 1883, he became an ac- 

 tive member,aud at its Eight Congress, 

 November, 1890, he was elected an hon- 

 orary member. Of the Linna;an So- 

 ciety of New York, he likewise is an 

 hononary member, having been chosen 

 as such April 13, 1878. The British Or- 

 nithologists' Union made him a foreign 

 member in 1872, and he is also connect- 

 ed with a large number of kindred so- 

 cieties in th s and other countries. 



Throughout his scientific career Mr. 

 Lawrence has commanded the confi- 

 dence and respect of all of his contem- 

 poraries, with many of whom he has 

 formed cordial friendships, and it is 

 with amazement that we consider the 

 long list of great names, from Vieillot 

 to the present time, that since the birth 

 of Mr. Lawrence have impressed indelib- 

 ly the brilliancy of their splendid geni- 

 us on American ornithology. Wilson, 

 Audubon, Bonaparte, Brewer, Nuttall, 

 Baird, Cassin, Giraud.DeKav, and many 

 more have come, and passed on, during 

 the stretch of one life. Of a verity 

 American ornithological science has 

 been favored in its leaders during the 

 last fourscore years. 



