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Bulletin Wisconsin Natural History Society [Vol. 11, No. 4 
every branch of scielice, his principal study was of spiders and 
insects, and his writings were on this subject. He was an inter- 
national authority on spiders. Collections were sent to him for 
identification or description by students of this order in all parts 
of the world and hundreds of species were first described and 
named by him. The study of birds, and bird life also, had always 
had a great attraction for him, and at the time of his death he was 
studying the coloration of the birds of the West Indies in the hope 
of suggesting a lucid explanation of the peculiar variations ob- 
served there. 
He was a man of great force and of strong individuality and 
was possessed of a characteristic charm of manner which brought 
him numberless friends. 
Dr. Peckham was the son of Geo. Williams Peckham and Mary 
Perry Peckham and was born at Albany, New York, on March 23, 
1845. He came to Milwaukee when nine years old. Shortly 
after the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Union Army and 
rose from the ranks to first lieutenant while still under age. About 
the time of the close of the war he became a student at Antioch 
College, in Ohio, and later at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he re- 
ceived the degree of M.D. He studied law at Albany Law School 
and was admitted to practice in Wisconsin. He became instructor 
of biology in the Milwaukee East Side High School in 1870 and 
later its principal, remaining at this school till 1892. He then 
resigned this position to become Superintendent of Public Instruc- 
tion which office he held until 1896, when he was made Librarian 
of the Milwaukee Public Library. In 1910 his health became 
such that he gave up this office and ceased all active work, devot- 
ing such time as he could to his favorite studies. 
In 1880 he married Elizabeth Gifford, now living. There are 
three children: Mrs. Mary Gifford Gross; Geo. Williams Peckham, 
now assistant Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University ; 
and Harold Gifford Peckham. Dr. Peckham was particularly 
happy in his married life, as his wife took the greatest interest 
in his work, cooperated with him in his scientific studies and 
observations and took an equal part in the preparation of the many 
papers published under their joint name. 
The following is a list of the papers published by Dr. Geo. W. 
Peckham and Eliz. G. Peckham: 
