38 THE AUDUBON "BULLE TES 
camp, was summarily discharged, and no one was louder in approval of 
the action than Fuertes. His sense of justice was marked and he was 
outspoken in his condemnation of sham and insincerity. This extended 
into the field of art and science and his great personal popularity was 
not unbroken by a few enemies who well deserved his forthright denun- 
ciation. He had no quarter for self-seeking pseudo-naturalists and no 
sympathy with certain schools of new art which arrogate to themselves 
an insight transcending that of other mortals. There was nothing 
mawkish about him. 
Fuertes was actively interested in a variety of subjects other than 
ornithology and painting. These included music, architecture, primitive 
art, conservation, and all movements concerned with young people. 
Although his conversation usually sparkled with originality and his 
correspondence gave much evidence of literary power, he wrote very 
little for publication. His most important written work appeared first 
in Bird Lore, and, later, in pamphlet form under the title “Impressions 
of Tropical Bird Voices.” It was a charming and valuable contribution 
to a little known subject. He was much interested in bird songs but 
had no fanciful ideas about them and especially condemned attempts 
to relate them with human music except by mere notation. His powers 
of mimicry were most unusual and he was greatly in demand at gather- 
ings of all kinds, not only for his imitations of birds and other animals, 
but for various “stunts” for which his sense of humor and his natural 
histrionic talent qualified him to a remarkable degree. These things 
contributed to his popularity and when combined with the pure gold of 
his character and the achievements of his profession served to mark him 
as a very outstanding man. 
In 1925, he was made a lecturer in ornithology at Cornell and, 
although he took this responsibility seriously, it has been said that he 
accomplished more by example than by precept. His influence was felt 
among the citizenry of Ithaca in many other ways, as a Rotarian, as a 
master of Boy Scouts, as a friend and guide for all young people, with 
the result that he is mourned not only by the university but by the 
entire community. 
During the few weeks since his death, there have been those who have 
not hesitated ‘to pronounce him the greatest painter of birds that ever 
lived. There is much to justify such a large place for him, and time is 
not likely to modify it greatly. Certain it is that he marks an era for 
American ornithologists and that in him skill with the palette and pencil 
was combined with qualities of mind and character to produce a very 
rare result. | 
Witrrep H. Oscoop. 
Field Museum of Natural History, 
Chicago 
