THURE KUMLIEN 
Publius V. Lawson 
To Mrs. Angie Kumlien Main of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, 
granddaughter of the naturalist, Thure Kumlien, who has in¬ 
herited her distinguished ancestor’s love of birds and all nature, 
is due very much of the success of this study; since, but for her 
willing and ceaseless energy and industry in seeking out and re¬ 
covering the muniment material of his life, his paintings, draw¬ 
ings, and writings, this life story would still remain untold. Other 
appreciation and credit has been given throughout this paper; and 
to these good people who have so kindly aided in the several in¬ 
vestigations our thanks are due. 
When William D. Hoard resided at Lake Mills about 1870, and 
long before he became governor of the state, he one day read in 
the Chicago Tribune 
“a brief note to the effect that Prof. Agassiz of Boston had said that 
Thure Kumlien of Bussey ville, Wisconsin, was the greatest authority in 
the world on bird nests”. 
He started out at once to make the acquaintance of a man who 
was so well known in scientific circles and unknown to him, who 
lived in the same county. He found the lover of nature. 
“occupying an eighty-acre farm with a log house, and engaged in plow¬ 
ing with a pair of oxen. He preferred oxen to horses, for if a rare bird 
came within his vision, he could leave them in the furrow and hunt the 
bird. I found he was a graduate of the University of Upsala in Sweden 
and a correspondent of most of the scientific societies of Europe and 
America. . . . His life work as a naturalist brought fame to his adopted 
state. His son Ludwig Kumlien was also a famous naturalist (*).” 
Several plants have been named for him. He was an expert 
taxidermist. There was no one in America so well informed on 
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