Florence Augusta Merriam was born on August 8, 1863, in Locust Grove, New York, the youngest of four children born to Clinton Levi and … See more

When they were not traveling, the Baileys resided in Washington, D.C., spending their final years at a house on 1834 Kalorama Road. Visitors recalled their home as ornately decorated with memorabilia gathered on their travels. The centerpiece of their … See more

Publication information derived from Harriet Kofalk's No Woman Tenderfoot: Florence Merriam Bailey, Pioneer Naturalist. See more

At the insistence of her older brothers, Merriam enrolled in 1882 at the newly-founded Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. The poor health that had beleaguered her throughout her childhood and prevented her from much formal education meant … See more

Early writing and travels
After leaving Smith in 1886, Merriam, still unmarried, was caught between her desires to advance … See more

Many of Merriam's works were designed not for scientists but for amateur birdwatchers, and works such as Birds of Village and Field … See more

• Barrow, Mark V. Jr. (1998). A Passion for Birds: American Ornithology after Audubon. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. See more