xlviii 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
and the atlas, for your amusement. To condemn so extensive a 
work before a re-perusal, or without taking into consideration all 
the difficulties that were to be surmounted, is, perhaps, not altoge- 
ther fair. Yet we almost always form our judgement from the first 
impressions, and this judgement is very seldom relinquished. You 
will, therefore, excuse me if I give you some of the impressions 
made on myself by a cursory perusal. 
“ Taking it all in alU it is certainly the best treatise on the 
subject hitherto published; though had the author extended his 
plan, and, instead of two, given us four volumes, it would not fre- 
quently have laid him under the necessity of disappointing his read- 
er by the bare mention of things that required greater illustration; 
and of compressing the natural history of whole regions into half 
a page. Only thirty-four pages allotted to the whole United States! 
This is brevity with a vengeance. I had indeed expected from the 
exertions of Dr, Barton as complete an account of the natural his- 
tory of this part of the world as his means of information, and the 
limits of the work, would admit. I have been miserably disap- 
pointed; and you will pardon me when I say that his omitting en- 
tirely the least reference to your researches in Botany and Tioo- 
logy, and seeming so solicitous to let us know of his own pro- 
ductions, bespeak a narrowness of mind, and self consequence, 
which are truly despicable. Every one acquainted with you both 
would have confidently trusted that he would rejoice in the oppor- 
tunity of making the world better acquainted with a man whose 
works show such a minute and intimate knowledge of these sub- 
jects; and from whom he had received so much information. But 
no — not even the slightest allusion, lest posterity might discover 
that there existed, at this time, in the United States, a naturalist of 
information superior to his. My dear sir, I am a Scotchman, and 
don’t love my friends with that cold selfish prudence which I see 
in some ; and if I offend in thus speaking from the fulness of my 
heart, I know you will forgive me. 
