PSYCHE 
VOL. XLIV MARCH -JUNE, 1937 Nos. 1-2 
THE SCIENTIFIC WORK OF ALBERT PITTS MORSE 
By Richard Dow 
New England Museum of Natural History 
Albert Pitts Morse, best known for his work on the 
Orthoptera of New England, was born in Sherborn, Massa- 
chusetts, on February 10, 1863. He was a direct descendant 
of Samuel Morse of Dedham, whose son Daniel became one 
of the incorporators of the town of Sherborn in 1674. His 
father, Leonard Townsend Morse, was prominent in town 
affairs for many years. 
As a boy, Mr. Morse attended the local schools, graduating 
from the Sawin Academy of Sherborn in 1879. He was 
unfortunately prevented from acquiring additional schooling 
by lack of robust health and the need of his services at home. 
Early attracted by the beauty of nature and endowed with an 
inquiring mind, he began to collect specimens, study taxi- 
dermy, and become acquainted with the wild life in his 
vicinity, a district rich in natural resources. He was en- 
couraged and aided in these pursuits by several local nat- 
uralists and collectors, among whom should be mentioned 
Amory L. Babcock and Edgar J. Smith of Sherborn, and 
William Edwards of Sotfith Natick. 
At the age of 23 he abandoned farming as a livelihood and 
took up draughting, a vocation which he followed for several 
years. After the death of his parents in 1886 and 1888, he 
accepted a position as assistant in the Zoological Depart- 
ment of Wellesley College, with which institution he was 
connected in different capacities for more than 45 years 
(until 1933). As collector and instructor, he served the 
students and teachers in various ways, developed the mu- 
