THE OOLOGIST. 



/75 



in which he figured pi'oniinently, and 

 which goes to show how intensely sus- 

 picious the inhabitants were of stran- 

 gers. He was at Hanover, N. H. 

 where he was considerably engaged in 

 exploring the region round about. 

 The suspicion of the inhabitants was 

 aroused and they consulted together to 

 •determine his business in those parts. 

 After due deliberation they came to the 

 conclusion that he was none else than 

 a spy from Canada who was exploring 

 the country with a view to determine 

 the best course by which a military 

 force could be sent from the British 

 provinces into New Eugland. Our in- 

 nocent traveller was arrested and taken 

 before a magistrate with all the form 

 due to the capture of an obnoxious in- 

 dividual. He was questioned as to the 

 nature of his business there, and when 

 he informed them that he was no more 

 than a spy in the sense of determining 

 the course of the migration of innocent 

 birds he was promptly dismissed with 

 many apologies. 



The seventh volume appeared in the 

 spring of 1813. and as soon as it left the 

 press be, accompanied by his friend, 

 Mr. Ord of Philadelphia, went to Great 

 Egg Harbor, where they remained 

 nearly four weeks constantly occupied 

 in collecting material for the eighth 

 Toluene, which he resolved should, if 

 possible, excel the others both in the 

 Talue of its material and the beauty of 

 .its embellishments. This sojourn at 

 the coast was very profitable to Wilson 

 and while there he became the recipi- 

 ent of much desired information. Up- 

 on his return to Philadelphia he 

 pluuged into the work of the re- 

 maining volumes. Day and night were 

 spent in order that he might complete 

 the work as soon as possible for he felt 

 that his long fatiguing journeys were 

 wearing upon his vitality. He was 

 obliged to rely wholly upon his own 

 labor, as those who attempted to assist 

 liim were either incompetent or annoy- 



ingly slow. In August, 1813, the 

 eighth volume was ready for the press. 



His mind and body had become de- 

 biliated by over exertion and its con- 

 sequences early brought on his death. 

 The immediate cause of his death was 

 in striking contrast to the romantic life 

 he had led. It seems that while one 

 day conversing with a friend he saw 

 flit by a rare bird, which he had for 

 years been desirous of obtaining. He 

 hastened in pursuit of the bird and in 

 his eagerness to obtain it he indiscreet- 

 ly swam across a river, and while he 

 captured the object of his pursuit, yet 

 the prize proved to be tho cause of his 

 untimely death, for the exposure pro- 

 duced a severe cold followed by an at- 

 tack of the dysentery, the same trouble- 

 some disease of his southern journey. 

 Ten days later, August 23,1813, the great 

 pioneer ornithologist of America ended 

 his mortal career having just a few 

 weeks previous completed his forty- 

 seventh year. His brother was in- 

 formed of his dangerous illness, and 

 reached his bedside a few hours before 

 his death. He says: "I found him 

 speechless; I caught his hand; he 

 seemed to know me, and that was all." 



Wilson frequently conversed with a 

 friend on the subject of death, and it 

 was his earnest wish that he might be 

 buried where "the birds might sing 

 over his grave." What a fitting wish 

 for one who had spent a lifetime in 

 their company! It is to be deploi*ed 

 that this wish was not known to those 

 who were with him in his last moments 

 and his remains were laid to rest in the 

 cemetery of the Swedish church in 

 Southwick, Philadelphia. Erected 

 over his grave is an unpretentious 

 marble monument bearing the follow- 

 ing inscription: 



