Henry Reed Taylor

“ Shields' home is now in San Francisco, and although he occupies an important position as Pacific Coast Manager of the Equitable Life Assurance Society, he is still enabled to devote some time, although much less than formerly, to scientific matters. He is an enthusiastic sportsman as well as naturalist, and one of the phenomenal wing shots of California. ”

“ Alexander M. Shields was born in Knoxville. East Tennessee. April 28, 1865. He has been an egg collector and student of bird-life for over twenty years, and is, as will be seen, not quite old enough to be a great grandfather. He was always an ardent naturalist and spent all his idle moments in early boyhood in reading all available books on natural history. ”

“ Among some later and noteworthy contributions to learning may be mentioned his papers on the ducks; description of "An Ibis Rookery in California," "Collecting an Egg of the California Condor," and a very valuable article, recently appearing in the Bulletin of the Cooper Ornithological Club, on the nesting of the Fulvous Tree Duck. ”