40 
Journal of the Mitchell Society 
[June 
man who traveled through the country collecting birds and mak- 
ing drawings of them by day and playing the violin for profit or 
diversion at night. Wilson was a field naturalist of the first order, 
and his great work “American Ornithology ’ 5 illustrated in colors 
with his own most creditable drawings in colors has well won for 
him the title of “Father of American Ornithology,” despite the 
fact that his work was eclipsed some years later by the stupendous 
undertaking of Audubon. As an ornithologist Audubon was Wil- 
son’s superior only in that he was a more skilful artist. As a man 
Wilson was of humble parentage, but indifferently educated, was 
poor, retiring, sensitive and self-effacing. Audubon was of excel- 
lent parentage, was highly educated, was always confident and at 
times self-assertive. Both were great contributors to the world’s 
knowledge of American birds, and it was their work which aroused 
real interest in the subject and put in motion the movement 
for bird study from which has since developed a long line of 
brilliant American naturalists. 
On one of Wilson’s trips through North Carolina, he found a 
specimen of the largest of all American wood -peckers, the Ivory- 
billed. The bird has long been extinct in this State. Another 
point of interest attending this capture by Wilson is that there is 
no record of one ever having been taken farther north in Eastern 
America. His record is therefore interesting and unique. He 
says, “The first place I observed this bird at, when on my way to 
the south, was about twelve miles north of Wilmington in North 
Carolina. There I found the bird from which the drawing of the 
figure in the plate was taken. This bird was only wounded 
slightly in the wing, and, on being caught, uttered a loudly reiter- 
ated, and most piteous note, exactly resembling the violent cry- 
ing of a young child; which terrified my horse so, as nearly to 
have cost me my life. It was distressing to hear it. I carried it 
with me in the chair, under cover, to Wilmington. In passing 
through the streets its affecting cries surprised every one within 
hearing, particularly the females, who hurried to the doors and 
windows with looks of alarm and anxiety. I drove on, and on 
arriving at the piazza of the hotel, where I intended to put up, 
the landlord came forward, and a number of other persons who 
