Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey
Encyclopedia
Florence Augusta Merriam Bailey (August 8, 1863 – September 22, 1948) was an American
ornithologist and nature writer. She was born in Locust Grove, New York
. The third child in her family, she was the younger sister of Clinton Hart Merriam
.
. She was encouraged in her interest in nature by her brother as well as her father. Her father was interested in scientific matters and was in correspondence with John Muir
after he had met him at Yosemite
in the summer of 1871.
Bailey studied at a private school in Utica, New York
. From 1882–1886, she studied at Smith College
, from which she did not receive a degree until she was given an honorary one in 1921. She also studied at Stanford University
She started observing bird behavior at a time when most bird study was based on collections and skins. By 1885, she began to write articles focusing on protecting birds. It was then custom to wear bird feathers on hats. Bailey was dedicated to telling and showing people about the value of bird life. Finally a bill was passed by Congress
making the interstate shipping of birds illegal. This was a first step in stopping the slaughter and decreasing the number of victims, especially among seabirds such as pelican
s and grebe
s. Eventually the laws, changing styles, and continued education stopped the killing of birds for hat decoration and clothing.
Her introduction of a birdwatching field guide, aimed at living birds, is considered the first in the tradition of modern bird guides. She wrote the first of these at the age of 26, initially as a series of notes in the Audubon Magazine and later as books. On December 18, 1899, she married Vernon Bailey
, a pioneering naturalist who worked with her brother in the United States Bureau of Biological Survey. The naturalist couple traveled widely and they were together responsible for encouraging many youngsters take up studies in natural history. They lived at 1834 Kalorama Road, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Bailey became the first woman associate member of the American Ornithologists' Union
in 1885, its first woman fellow in 1929, and the first woman recipient of its Brewster Medal in 1931, awarded for Birds of New Mexico. She was a founding member of the Audubon Society
of the District of Columbia and frequently led its classes in basic ornithology
. Her last major written work was Among the Birds in the Grand Canyon National Park, published by the National Park Service
in 1939. A subspecies of California
Mountain Chickadee
was named Parus gambeli baileyae in her honor in 1908.
She died in Washington, D.C.
, on September 22, 1948.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ornithologist and nature writer. She was born in Locust Grove, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The third child in her family, she was the younger sister of Clinton Hart Merriam
Clinton Hart Merriam
Clinton Hart Merriam was an American zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist and ethnographer.Known as "Hart" to his friends, Dr. Clinton Hart Merriam was born in New York City in 1855. His father, Clinton Levi Merriam, was a U.S. congressman. He studied biology and anatomy at Yale University and...
.
Life and work
Bailey grew up at her family's estate, "Homewood", which had a lot of space for the study of natural historyNatural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
. She was encouraged in her interest in nature by her brother as well as her father. Her father was interested in scientific matters and was in correspondence with John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
after he had met him at Yosemite
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
in the summer of 1871.
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
. From 1882–1886, she studied at Smith College
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
, from which she did not receive a degree until she was given an honorary one in 1921. She also studied at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
making the interstate shipping of birds illegal. This was a first step in stopping the slaughter and decreasing the number of victims, especially among seabirds such as pelican
Pelican
A pelican, derived from the Greek word πελεκυς pelekys is a large water bird with a large throat pouch, belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae....
s and grebe
Grebe
A grebe is a member of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds, some of which visit the sea when migrating and in winter...
s. Eventually the laws, changing styles, and continued education stopped the killing of birds for hat decoration and clothing.
Her introduction of a birdwatching field guide, aimed at living birds, is considered the first in the tradition of modern bird guides. She wrote the first of these at the age of 26, initially as a series of notes in the Audubon Magazine and later as books. On December 18, 1899, she married Vernon Bailey
Vernon Orlando Bailey
Vernon Orlando Bailey was an American naturalist who specialist in mammalogy. He was employed by the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture . His contributions to the Bureau of Biological Survey numbered roughly 13,000 specimens including many new species...
, a pioneering naturalist who worked with her brother in the United States Bureau of Biological Survey. The naturalist couple traveled widely and they were together responsible for encouraging many youngsters take up studies in natural history. They lived at 1834 Kalorama Road, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Bailey became the first woman associate member of the American Ornithologists' Union
American Ornithologists' Union
The American Ornithologists' Union is an ornithological organization in the USA. Unlike the National Audubon Society, its members are primarily professional ornithologists rather than amateur birders...
in 1885, its first woman fellow in 1929, and the first woman recipient of its Brewster Medal in 1931, awarded for Birds of New Mexico. She was a founding member of the Audubon Society
National Audubon Society
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation. Incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world and uses science, education and grassroots advocacy to advance its conservation mission...
of the District of Columbia and frequently led its classes in basic ornithology
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
. Her last major written work was Among the Birds in the Grand Canyon National Park, published by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
in 1939. A subspecies of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Mountain Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
The Mountain Chickadee is a small songbird, a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. Often, it is still placed in the genus Parus with most other tits, but mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data and morphology suggest that separating Poecile more adequately expresses these birds' relationships...
was named Parus gambeli baileyae in her honor in 1908.
She died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, on September 22, 1948.
Publications
- Birds Through An Opera Glass, 1889, Riverside Library for Young People, pub. Houghton, Mifflin & Co, New York & Boston;
- My Summer In A Mormon Village, 1894, pub. Houghton, Mifflin & Co, New York & Boston;
- A-Birding on a Bronco, 1896, pub. Houghton, Mifflin & Co, New York & Boston;
- How Birds Affect the Farm and Garden, 1895, pub. Forest and Stream Publishing;
- Birds of Village and Field, c. 1898, pub. Houghton, Mifflin & Co, New York & Boston;
- Handbook of Birds of The Western United States (with Wells Woodbridge CookeWells CookeWells Woodbridge Cooke , was an American ornithologist who was called the “father of cooperative study of bird migration in America”....
), 1902, pub. Houghton, Mifflin & Co, New York & Boston; - Birds of New Mexico, 1928, pub. New Mexico Department of game and fish in cooperation with the State game protective association and the Bureau of biological survey;
- Among the Birds in the Grand Canyon Country, 1939, pub. United States Government Printing Office;
Further reading
- Kofalk, Harriet, No Woman Tenderfoot: Florence Merriam Bailey, Pioneer Naturalist, 1989, Texas A&M University PressTexas A&M University PressTexas A&M University Press is a scholarly publishing house associated with Texas A&M University. It was founded in 1974 and is located in College Station, Texas, in the United States.-Overview:...
ISBN 0890963789