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JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



spring months, and seemed very tired 

 and worn. Yet, with the returning 

 birds, he tried to resume his studies 

 among them, though his strength was 

 not equal to his ambition and he had 

 to make shorter trips. He always 

 spoke of himself and his trouble very 

 cheerfully and hopefully, yet he was 

 beginning to realize that the future 

 was very uncertain. On one of my 

 trips there we planned a half day's 

 trip up the lake to review his favorite 

 haunts, and to get some nest photos. 

 The tramp through the woods seemed 

 to tire him, yet he insisted on pushing 

 forward and doing all he could. On 

 our return home in the boat, he seem- 

 ed so tired and weary, he at last, let 

 me persuade him to give the oars to 

 me. The trip was beyond his strength, 

 yet as he cheerfully said, when I ex- 

 pressed my fears that evening that the 

 trip had been too hard for him, that 

 he would get rested in a few days and 

 next three weeks' trip we would take 

 another jaunt. But alas! how little did 

 we realize that this was to be his last 

 trip up the lake! His cough grew worse 

 and he began to lose flesh. He was 

 so interested in his pair of jc seated 

 Woodpeckers, that he persuaded his 

 father to carry him in the team, near 

 the nest site, so he could see, once 

 more, if this pair of birds, which had 

 been his special study for several 

 years, had returned. He was com- 

 pletely worn out on his return and told 

 his mother, that this was probably his 

 last extended trip among the birds. 



July came and he seemed to be slow- 

 ly, but surely sinking and it was decid- 

 ed that he and his mother should go to 

 Nova Scotia during the hot season. 

 When he told me of their trip, his face 

 lit up with a smile as ne said, his moth- 

 er needed the rest and change more 

 than he did. This shows his kindness 

 of heart, as he was ever so thought- 



ful of the comforts of others. I spent 

 the evening with him, on my trip be- 

 fore he started north, and though he 

 was as cheerful as ever, I for the first 

 time began to realize that he would 

 never be in better health. 



Sadly I returned to the hotel and to 

 the dining room for tea, but left the 

 food untounched, and to my room with 

 a heavy heart, but not to sleep, for the 

 fact came home to me, for the first 

 time, that he whom we had learned to 

 love, that one of the truest and uest of 

 friends I had ever known was to be 

 taken from our ranks, and that his stay 

 with us, could be, at the most, but a 

 few short months. On July 15, 1901, he 

 went to Nova Scotia and for a time 

 seemed to gain slowly, after he got 

 rested from the long journey. All that 

 kind friends could do, was done to 

 make his stay there pleasant. 



His letters came frequently, and al- 

 ways cheerful and full of hope, yet be- 

 neath it all, he realized better than any 

 one, that his chances for recovery 

 were not encouriaging. He returned 

 nome about Sept. 8th, and began to 

 cough much more than he had done be- 

 fore. Early in Oct. he told me he 

 tliought of going South. That some- 

 thing must be done for his cough. Oct. 

 -_ch he started for Southern Pines, No. 

 Carolina, and after he felt rested from 

 the journey he began to feel better. 

 His letters ever had that same cheer- 

 ful tone. A very disagreable winter 

 was experienced in that locality but he 

 devoted what time he felt able to bird 

 study near his hotel. He was ever 

 a uume person and was rather lone- 

 some and homesick for the friends he 

 had left in the North. 



He wrote. me that "Bird-life was 

 scarce and he did not blame the birds 

 for not staying in so uncongenial a 

 resort." He felt anxious to return 

 home early in the spring and April 19 



