248 



Alexander Wilson. 



things new. My return was by a different 

 route. I have procured three new and 

 beautiful hawks; and have gleaned up a 

 stock of materials that will be useful to me 

 hereafter. 



"■ I hope, my dear sir, that you have been 

 well since I left you. I have myself been 

 several times afflicted with a violent palpi- 

 tation of the heart, and want to try whether 

 a short voyage by sea will be beneficial or 

 not. 



" In New England the rage of war, the 

 virulence of politics, and the pursuit of 

 commercial speculations engross every fa- 

 culty. The voice of science and the charms 

 of nature, unless these last present them- 

 selves in prize sugars, coffee or rum, are 

 treated with contempt." 



There are few additional records of the 

 short remaining term of Wilson's life. The 

 seventh part of the "Ornithology" was far 

 advanced and soon after its publication 

 Wilson set out accompanied by Mr. Ord on 

 an expedition to Egg Harbor to procure 

 materials for the eighth volume which 

 would principally have contained the ma- 

 rine waterfowl. This was his last expedi- 

 tion and occupied nearly four months. On 

 returning to Philadelphia the anxiety to 

 perfect the forthcoming volume, which he 

 thought would bring his labors nearly to a 

 conclusion, and show him the end of a 

 work to which he looked for the achieve- 

 ment of a lasting reputation, brought on an 

 attack of his old complaints, which had 

 gradually become more frequent when his 

 mind or body was harassed or agitated for 

 the accomplishment of any favorite project. 

 His last illness is said to have been caused 

 by a cold contracted during a long chase 

 after .some much desired bird, in the course 

 of which and when much overheated he 

 swam several rivers and small creeks; the 

 immediate cause of his death was dysen- 

 tery to which he had acquired a chronic 

 tendency by previous exposure, and to this 

 last and fatal attack he succumbed after an 



illness of ten days at the early age of forty- 

 seven years, leaving the task he had allotted 

 himself in some measure incomplete, but 

 not before he had fairly earned the reputa- 

 tion for which he had so ardently craved. 

 As a poet he still enjoys a local reputation 

 in his birthplace, but his claim to our re- 

 cognition rests on his labors as an ornithol- 

 ogist. He is the pioneer ornithologist of 

 the United States, a man who traveled far, 

 observed carefully, and scrupulously re- 

 frained from making any statements which 

 were not of his knowledge, thus establish- 

 ing a knowledge of the birds of America 

 upon a sound foundation which became the 

 starting point for future observers. 



C. W. Webber closes his resume of Wil- 

 son's career with the following critical re- 

 marks: 



"We will not add to the gloom which 

 followed the illustrious life of poor Wilson 

 to his grave by any ofificious comments 

 upon the tenor of this short narrative. 1 

 will add, though, that it should be remem- 

 bered, in forming any judgment of that 

 strange moody man, that he had bitter 

 woes enough to contend with, not only in 

 his friendless early days, but in the harsh 

 isolation of his weary wanderings and un- 

 appreciated after-life, to have grown a gall 

 beneath an angel's wing. 



"Withal, the bursts of sunshine and exul- 

 tation which shone through his eloquent 

 writings often show that his inner self 

 had fed healthfully sometimes upon the 

 pure and peaceful teaching of his gentle 

 pursuits. He was a man whose pro- 

 found genius, darkened by misfortune, was 

 sombrely illuminated by a noble enthusi- 

 asm. He, too, may be accepted as a hun- 

 ter-naturalist, but not as first among them 

 all. To J. J. Audubon, undoubtedly, that 

 high place belongs, though this has been 

 disputed by many, and even Christopher 

 North has been found to assert them as 

 'equals.' 



" When the noble work of Wilson, the 



