Harmon Atkins was born on Aug. 20, 1821, in Newstead, Erie County, N.Y. In 1842, he moved to Ingham County, Mich. where he served as a country doctor until his death on May 19, 1885. During his residence in Locke Township, he studied the local bird life. He eventually became an authority on the avifauna in his immediate area, and he began writing articles and letters abourt his ornithological findings. One person with whom he corresponded was Edgar Alexander Mearns (1856-1916), a New York physician. The original letters are kept in the Library of Congress, but copies have been made and transcribed to form this collection.
From the description of Harmon Atkins papers. (State Archive of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 41557184
