Mabel Osgood Wright (1859-1934) was an American author, born in New York City. She became president of the Audubon Society of the State of Connecticut on its organization in 1898. Beginning as a writer about children, nature, and outdoor life, she received a cordial reception from the public, but concealed her identity as the author of later books, novels, until they had won recognition independently. Much of the material to which she gave attractive literary expression she found in the large garden at her home in Fairfield, Connecticut. Elliott Coues (1842-1899) was an American army surgeon, historian, ornithologist and author. He served as a medical cadet in Washington in 1862-1863, and in 1864 was appointed assistant-surgeon in the regular army. His work was instrumental in establishing the currently accepted standards of trinomial nomenclature - the taxonomic classification of subspecies - in ornithology, and ultimately the whole of zoology. In 1873-1876 Coues was attached as surgeon and naturalist to the United States Northern Boundary Commission, and in 1876- 1880 was secretary and naturalist to the United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories.