BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



continuation of the American Ornithology of 

 Wilson. He formed an intimate friendship 

 for Mr. Cooper, spent much time in his so- 

 ciety, and incorporated in his fine work the 

 new information collected by Mr. Cooper, be- 

 sides intrusting to him the correcting, in the 

 text, of his imperfect English and the editing 

 of the two last volumes, after his own de- 

 parture for Europe in 1828. 



Mr. Cooper was glad to have so good an 

 opportunity for publishing the results of his 

 ornithological studies, which appeared to him 

 insufficient to justify the expense of separate 

 books. 



Letters still in existence testify to the high 

 regard entertained by Bonaparte for Mr. 

 Cooper's judgment and assistance in these 

 matters, which was further manifested by the 

 dedication to him of the finest new species de- 

 scribed in Bonaparte's work — the Falco Coop- 

 eri, now well known throughout scientific and 

 other literature as "Cooper's Hawk." 



The original specimen of this hawk, shot by 

 Mr. Cooper himself in Hudson Co., New Jer- 

 sey, was supposed by him to be undescribed, 



