The 1878-1880 Hunting Diary

This diary, from the collection of the University of South Florida in Tampa, documents specimen collecting and hunting trips around Rochester (1878-1880), as well as trips to Canada (1878 and 1879), Florida (1879) and Colorado (1880).   

James Sibley Watson documents the supplies needed for the longer trips and documents his kills, describing the animals in detail.  He often took taxidermy supplies with him, so we can assume that at least some of the collection was preserved, although the location of such specimens is presently unknown.

The 1879 Florida trip with his cousin Charles Alonzo Watson ended tragically with his cousin's death when the boat they were sailing in capsized.