Miss Lawson's Recollections of Ornithologists
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Vol.XXX•V] 1917 ] BURNS,Miss Lawson'sRecollections. 275 sprucebranches clos•to the trunk, thirty feet up. It containedbitsof egg shell, and appearedto have been broken up by somemammal. Regulus calendula calendula. RUBY-CROWNEDKINGLET.--Coln- mon, breeds. Hylocichla ustulata swainsoni. 0•VE-B•CKEB THRUSH.--Abun- dant breedingbird. Nestsbuilding, just completedor with eggswere found during the entire period of both visits, and with young after the middle of June. Hylocichla guttata pallaM. HERroT THRUSH.--Common. Breeds. Nests with four eggseach, incubationnearly complete,were found June 18, 1915, and June 11, 1916, and a nest with three fresh eggs,June 24, 1916. Plax•esticusmigratorius migratorius. RotaN.-- Abundantbreeding bird, nestsbeing found everywhere,even out in fairly densesecond growth woods. One nest containedyoung nearly ready to leave it on June 21; another held three nearly fresh eggs,June 24. 8ialia sialis si•lis. BnUEmRB.--A very few seen. A nest containing young and one addled egg was found on June 9, 1916. MISS LAWSON'S RECOLLECTIONS OF ORNITHOLOGISTS. BY FRANK L. BURNS. IN a batch of papers relating to the life of Alexander Wilson loanedme by the late FrederickB. McKechnie,I found an inter- estingseries of lettersrunning from June21, 1879,to February20, 1883, signed by Malvina Lawson. The matter which appeared most valuablewas copiedverbatim but owingto my friend'sdesire to publish,it was scarcelydrawn upon for my paperson Wilson. Mr. McKechnie's sad death occurredbefore he was able to carry out his intention and the original letters having beenlost or de- stroyed,it seemsdesirable to publishmy extracts. Miss Lawson was the eldest daughterof AlexanderLawson, who was born in Ravenstruthers, Scotland, December 19, 1773; came to Phila- delphia in May, 1792, and died there August 22, 184(;. He is describedas a tall thin 1nanof large frame and athletic; fall of animation,good feelingand the love of truth, but inclinedto be satirical. Miss Lawsonsays: "My father has beenrepresented as 276 BNs, MissLawsoh's Recollections. o [July[Auk speakingbroad Scotchwhich is simply ridiculous,I never heard him use a Scottishword exceptin jest or in readinghis favorite Scottishpoets." He engravedplates for the 'American Ornithology' of Alex- ander Wilson and Charles Lucien Bonaparte; George Ord's un- publishedwork on mammals; the 'Monograph of the Fresh- Water Univalve Mollusca' of Prof. Samuel S. Haldeman and the 'Terrestlal and Air-BreathingMollusks' of Dr. Amos Binney,be- side various illustrationson botany, chemistry and mineralogy. There were eight children, five of whom reached maturity: Malvina, Helen E., Catherine, Oscar A. and Mary, all inheriting the artistic talents of their parent. Malvina and Helen colored by handmost of the platesof Ord'sedition of Wilson's'Ornithology' a.ndwhatever superiority it p•ossessesis entirely due to the skillof the girl artists. It is said that with the beautiful preparations from the Philadelphia Museum for models,they labored steadily at this work for three years and receivedfive thousanddollars, at that time an almostunheard of sum for two young girls to earn. Helen, perhapsthe most versatileof the sisters,executed the drawings for the works on conchologyby Prof. Haldeman and Dr. Binney, and also engraved the life-sized figure of the Rice Bunting used in HarrisonHall's prospectusof Wilson's'Orni- thology.' Oscarwas born in Philadelphia,August 7, 1813; learned engraving under his father; was' employedby the U.S. Coast Surveyat Washingtonfrom 1841to 1851,and died in Philadelphia, September6, 1854. The survivingsisters, Miss Malvina and Mrs. Mary L. Birck- head, removedto West Chester,Pa., in 1872, where the former died on April 6, 1884. Mr. R. P. Sharplesof West Chester,to whomI am indebtedfor much information,was well acquaintedwith the sisters and recognizedthem as ladies of great refinement and culture. Amongthe family treasureswas a handsomeoil painting by Miss Malvina of her three sistersand a sketchbook containing the work of all membersof the family. Miss Lawson was born about1806; shepossessed a strong personality, a vigorousmind and was most loyal to her friends; yet it is to be feared that certain unfortunateevents resulting in the loss of long cherishedfamily treasures,somewhat embittered her later days. Mrs. Birckhead, Vol. 1917XXXIV] J BvR•rs,Miss Lawsoh's Recollections. 277 who was twenty years younger,survived her sister but a short time and the fa•nily is now without a living representative. Miss Lawson writes of her father's distinguishedvisitors with an artist's love of detail and all the franknessof an impressionable child. How well she recalls a little act of kindnessby good old William Bartram, and her descriptionof the personalappearance of AlexanderWilson ought to set to rest the talk of his absolute poverW and especiallythat of his "fingers stiflenedby toil and manual labor." It has been said that Wilson owed little to his engraver,but it is shownhere that he sometimesmade only an outlinedrawing leaving Lawson to fill in the detailsdirectly from the specimen;and this must be true sincedrawings of this nature are still in existence. Miss Lawson's analysisof the character of George Ord can scarcelybe excelled. Ord, admirablein many ways, was insanely intolerantof any oppositionand was the instigatorof the persecu- tion of John J. Audubon by Waterton and others. The only pleasingfeature of this attack is the refusal of "Good Charles" Bonaparteto allow his judgment to be swayedby the prejudice of his friends. But we shall let Miss Lawsontell of thesethings in her own way. Of Bartram she writes, "When a child I saw Mr. Bartram. He was a very charmingold gentlemanand he gave me a very doubleyellow rose, a great rarity at that time, and every summerwe mademore than one excursionto the garden." "The article on the death of [GovernorMeriwether] Lewis," shewrites, "recalled to my mind hearingmy father speakof him as beingone of the most proud and sensitiveof human beings. The neglectof the Governmentto ratify the arrangementshe had made in goodfaith, seemedto maddenhim. He was rather small and dark; in strong contrast to Clark his companion. My father engravedthe new Antelopethey discovered,and the Horned Sheep of the Rocky Mountains. They certainly were the first animals (mammals)fit to be looked at that were ever engravedin this country." The Wilson matter follows: "I do not feel certain whether the profile likeness(of Wilson) drawn by Barralet, was taken before or after death. My father said it did not do him justice althoughit gave someidea of him. Barralet had been a teacherof drawingin England and Ireland, 278 BvR•s,Miss Lawson's Recolleclio•cs. [_July[ Auk and you seehe knew somethingof engravingas he copiedhis own work in stipplewhich was fashionablein that day. He certainly took a goodprofile, as the one he made of father proves." "Wilson was very particular on the subjectof the linen he wore, and the white cravat and ruffleswere as important to him as a fine ladies'dress is to her. I am certain of all I say on this matter, not from my own memory but from the discussionsI have con- stantly heard all my youth on the habits and mannersof a man whose work has rendered him famous. My father received numberlessvisitors from all parts of the world, and particularly Scotland; who desired to learn everything concerninghim. He might have been a little careless,but nothing eccentric; his dress was that of other gentlemenof the period. Wilson was almost a pure type of the bilioustemperament, which you are awareis one best fitted for constant exertion, either mental or physical. He could bear great fatigue without flinching. His height was five feet and eleveninches. When preparingfor one of Irisexpeditions he was in the habit of taking a walk every morning,increasing the distance daily and when he could make twenty miles without much fatigue, he started on his journey." "Some twaddle speaksof his bony handsknotted and hardened by labor, strugglingto paint birds! In the first placeWilson never painted birds, he drew them in water colors,and more frequently in outline, either with pencil or pen, and my father finished them from th• birds themselves. I have hem'dmy mother speakof his hands as being small and delicate, and there was nothing in his occupationto particularly injure his hands; as I mentionedbefore, he wrote beautifully and played charminglyon the flute." "I think I mentioned the drawing of Wilson's schoolhouse my sisterHelen had made when quite a young girl, many years before Mr. Weaver's; it hasthe old treesaround it and is very picturesque. Mr. Eastwick who purchasedBartram's garden, saw it and pro- nounced it excellent and indeed historical." "The tomb which coversthe remains of Wilson was erected by the lady he was to have married,Miss SarahMiller, sisterof the Hon. Daniel Miller, Member of Congressfrom the upper section of the City. The Swedes'church now occupiesan obscureportion of Philadelphia,but at that time it was open to the Delaware and Vol. 1917XXXIV] J BURNS,Miss Lawson's Recollections. 279 nearly in the country, so that the old Lutheran pastor could see his apple orchardfrmn his pulpit. Many years ago, a gentle,nan •nuch interested in Wilson, was anxious to have his re•nains trans- ferred to Laurel Hill Ce•netery, a beautiful and picturesqueplace on the banks of the Schuylkill; he consultedmy father who saw no objectionbut on applying to Mr. Ord, who was the sole sur- viving executor, he positively refused to permit the removal." "Rider, the artist who undertookthe coloringof Wilson'sfirst edition, was a Swisspainter in oils; he understoodwater colors however,but to facilitatehis work, spoileda great•nany copies by usingopaque colors both in Wilson'sand afterwardsin Bonaparte's works. Of coursenone of this troublewas felt in the sa•neway by Bonaparte,although he cronplainsbitterly of Rider." GeorgeOrd, Wilson'sbiographer and editorof the latter volumes of his work Miss Lawson knew personally.