. The oist . stant and remote sections of coun-try often risking his life to securesome feathered treasure. Among thebirds he has secured are specimens ofa few which have become extinct andthese to the ornithologist are of price-less value. Most visitors to the Museum wanderleisurely among the cases, mark thedifferent varieties and wonder at theindefatigable labor of getting togethersuch a collection. They will hardlyassociate the genial old man with themuseum; an idea of what he endured,what efforts he made, may never enterthe minds of these good folk; but asevery notable achievement is the r
. The oist . stant and remote sections of coun-try often risking his life to securesome feathered treasure. Among thebirds he has secured are specimens ofa few which have become extinct andthese to the ornithologist are of price-less value. Most visitors to the Museum wanderleisurely among the cases, mark thedifferent varieties and wonder at theindefatigable labor of getting togethersuch a collection. They will hardlyassociate the genial old man with themuseum; an idea of what he endured,what efforts he made, may never enterthe minds of these good folk; but asevery notable achievement is the re-sult of some notable effort so as anextraordinary romance does the lifeof Mr. Werner fit with his wonderfulcollection. When at the age of 20 he beganmounting various specimens of NightHerons, Crows, and Scarlet Tanagerscaught in the part of Pennsylvaniawhere he lived, he was a young man,lithe of limb, quick and vigorous ofmovement. He would climb a tree asreadily as he would walk or run. To- THE OOLOGIST 13. —w-^ifa^iflHifffi BLACK VULTURE GROUP 14 THE OOLOGIST day his 66 years set well upon himalthough his hair is grey. The birdshe caught in those early days are tohim just as lively, as animated as theywere forty-six years ago. Mr. Wer-ners songsters may never sing, butthey will never perish at least barringaccidents for many years to come Of course any work that is remark-able is the result of exceptional in-terest on the part of the worker. has been a labor of he was a little fellow of six hewould wander about the farm of hisparents near Nazareth, Pa., and watchbirds. He became familiar with theirways, learned to know the meaning oftheir language so that when he wasabout 15 he could tell any bird by itschirrup. Probably few children attainsuch unique understanding of linguist-ry; in time he learned to know thelanguage and habits of 500 differentkinds of birds. To a visitor entering the placewhere he has exhibited his birds for18 years, Mr. Werner wil
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidoist39al, booksubjectbirds
