48 
MEMOIR OP 
while it continued to call forth additional enco- 
miums in its praise. 
After this period, unless the information contained 
in Wilson's correspondence with his friends, when on 
his laborious journeys over the length and breadth 
of the United States, upon the business of the Book, 
but which are too long for insertion, we possess 
little that is interesting respecting our author. In 
his last expedition, he was accompanied by Mr. 
Ord, his excellent biographer; and on their return 
home to Philadelphia, his anxiety to complete and 
perfect the eighth volume, which he fondly imagined 
would nearly if not wholly terminate the labours 
upon -which he had periled his reputation, brought 
on an attack of his old complaints, now gradually, 
from fatigue and excitement, become more frecpient 
and severe. He was seized with dysentery, and his 
exhausted constitution yielded to its force, after an 
illness of ten days’ duration. This melancholy event 
happened at Philadelphia on the 23d of August, 
1813, in the forty-eighth year of his age. 'Thus 
closed a very chequered life, though active and be- 
nevolent in the extreme, ever devoted to the good of 
mankind, by his ardent desire to illustrate and lay 
before them the works of his Creator. 
Wilson’s great Work, “ The American Ornitho- 
logy, or the Natural History of the Birds of the 
United States," in eight large quarto volumes, con- 
taining seventy-six plates, upon which are repre- 
sented upwards of three hundred and twenty birds, 
together with some of their eggs, nests, &c., may 
