Lawson—Thure Kumlien. 
675 
There was a warm friendship and an intimate correspondence 
between Kumlien and Dr. Thomas Mayo Brewer, naturalist and 
author of bird books, who was also connected with the Smithsonian 
Institute. Dr. Brewer died in Boston January 24, 1880. He 
edited an edition of Wilson’s Birds of North America in 1839. 
It was this edition of which Kumlien secured a copy about 1849. 
Brewer, with Baird and Ridgeway, published a History of North 
American Birds in 1874. After March 30, 1851, a correspondence 
was begun between these two naturalists which ended only with 
the death of Dr. Brewer thirty years later. The subjects included 
the habits of birds, their descriptions, and eggs and nests. Brewer 
took care of the sale of bird skins for Kumlien, and of eggs and 
nests and all other subjects of natural history, and found books 
and reports for him. He procured pins for insects and glass 
bird-eyes for mounting. He mailed seeds of a new squash and 
bought butter from Kumlien. He advised about the wealth of 
prospective customers for natural history objects. 
In 1859, in a letter to Dr. Brewer, Mr. Kumlien wrote: 
“I am very fond of natural history and have been since a school boy, 
but my means do not allow me to follow my inclinations in this respect, 
and to increase my collections as I should like, so that I sometimes, plow 
in hand, make observations.” 
In 1851, he wrote Brewer: 
“Not being enough acquainted with the English language to write the 
same any ways proper, it is with some hesitation I undertake to write to 
you. I am a native of Sweden and emigrated to America in 1843, but 
have ever since been shut up in the woods, and my time most wholly 
devoted to hard work.” 
It is evident from the language and the beautiful handwriting 
of this, among the earliest of his letters that I have seen, that 
Thure Kumlien had no reason for excuses on either score. By the 
possession of the Birds of America for the previous two years, 
he had at that early date made himself familiar with the proper 
scientific names of all the birds in his region, and had already 
made a catalogue of the birds seen about him. He had mentioned 
this catalogue to Mr. Holt, and noV offered to mail a copy to 
Brewer. The warm friendship of these two naturalists was 
fortunate for both of them. As for Kumlien, it kept him con¬ 
stantly in touch with the work and thought of other naturalists. 
To Brewer it gave the most expert and educated field observa¬ 
tion, research, and information. 
