“
published some time since, never happened to be seen by me until a few days ago. in the account of his life, prefixed to that
volume his biographer indulges himself in a bitter invective against me, as having refused to employ Wilson on Pike’s expedition
to the Arkansa, on which particularly he wished to have been employed. on turning to my papers I have not a scrip of a pen
on the subject of that expedition; which convinces me that it was not one of those which emanated from myself: and if a decaying
memory does not decieve me I think that it was ordered by yourself from S
t. Louis, while Governor and military commander there . . .
”
On January 15, 1825, in a letter to his grandson-in-law, Joseph Coolidge, Jefferson wrote: “
I proposed to you to suggest to some editor of books in Boston the printing on 8
vo. edñ of the best of Wilson’s Ornithology, giving plates of 8
vo. size also, with mere sketching of the forms of the birds in a light way. I do not know whether the lithographic art is practised
in Boston; if it is, it would be quite equal to the object of this work, and so cheap, as I learn, as to cost little more
than printing.
””
Alexander Wilson, 1766-1813, ornithologist, was born in Paisley, Scotland. He left Scotland for America in 1794, and eventually met William
Bartram, the botanist and naturalist. The risk of the
American Ornithology was taken by the publisher, Samuel Bradford, and the first volume appeared in September 1808. The original edition of two
hundred copies was augmented to five hundred before a year had elapsed. Volume VIII was completed before Wilson’s death, and
was brought out, with the last volume, by George Ord. Numerous editions of this work have been published.
George Ord, 1781-1866, naturalist and philologist, was born in Philadelphia. He became a close friend of Wilson and accompanied him
on many expeditions.
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18
Willoughby’s Ornithology.
fol.
1815 Catalogue, page 46. no. 44, as above.
WILLUGHBY,
Francis.
The Ornithology of Francis Willvghby of Middleton in the County of Warwick Esq; Fellow of the Royal Society. In Three Books. Wherein All the Birds hitherto known,
Being reduced into a Method sutable [sic] to their Natures, are accurately described. The Descriptions illustrated by most Elegant Figures, nearly resembling the live
Birds, Engraven in LXXVIII Copper Plates. Translated into
English, and enlarged with many Additions throughout the whole Work. To which are added, Three Considerable Discourses, I. Of the
Art of Fowling: With a Description of several Nets in two large Copper Plates. II. Of the Ordering of Singing Birds. III.
Of Falconry. By John Ray, Fellow of the Royal Society . . .
London: Printed by
A. C. for
John Martyn, Printer to the Royal Society,
1678.
QL673 .W74
First
English Edition. 230 leaves, 2 unnumbered and LXXVIII numbered engraved plates, 2 printed tables inserted, title-page printed in
red and black.
Lowndes V, page 2939.
Agassiz IV, 572.
Giebel,
Thesaurus Ornithologiae I, page 9.
Mullens and Swann,
Bibliography of British Ornithology, page 651.
STC W2880.
Francis Willughby, 1635-1672, English naturalist, was one of the original fellows of the Royal Society. He was the first naturalist to treat
the study of birds as a science, and his system of ornithological classification was the basis of that of Linnaeus. Willughby
was originally the pupil, later the friend of John Ray, who became his literary executor and translated this work, originally
written in
Latin and published in 1676, into
English.
[1023]
