Naturalist, born in New York City, New York, USA. The son of a wealthy merchant, he grew up in Locust Grove, NY within view of the Adirondacks. He studied at Yale, earned a medical degree from Columbia University, and practised medicine for several years before turning full time to natural history. As director of the US Biological Survey (1885–1910), he oversaw research projects, expeditions, and the building of permanent plant and animal collections. He left government service to pursue his own research interests, and he published works on birds, bears, and Indian folktales.