Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 10.djvu/314

LEFT WALKER 274 WALLACE the sale of $250,000,000 in 5-20 bonds. On his return in 1864 he applied himself to the practice of law and to literary work, writing extensively for the "Con- tinental Review." He died in Washing- ton, D. C, Nov, 11, 1869. WALKER, SEARS COOK, an Ameri- can astronomer; born in Wilmington, Mass., March 28, 1805 ; was graduated at Harvard College in 1825; taught school for several years near Boston and in Philadelphia, and actively engaged in scientific work. He prepared a set of parallactic tables for the latitude of Philadelphia, which greatly facilitated the process of computing the phases of an occultation in 1834; planned the or- ganization of an observatory in connec- tion with the Philadelphia high school in 1837; published a valuable paper on the periodical meteors of August and November, 1841 ; and in 1845 received an appointment in the Washington Observa- tory, where on Feb. 2, 1847, four months after the discovery of the planet Nep- tune, he indentified that planet with a star observed by Lalande in May, 1795. From 1847 till his death he had charge of the longitude computations of the United States Coast Survey, and in this connection he developed with Professor Bache the method of determining differ- ences of longitude by telegraph, which was first put into successful operation in 1849. He died in Cincinnati, O., Jan. 30, 1853. WALKER, WILLIAM, an American adventurer; born in Nashville, Tenn., May 8, 1824, studied law in Nashville, and medicine in Germany. In July, 1853, he organized an expedition against Sonora, Mexico, but was compelled to surrender to the United States commander at San Diego, Cal. In 1855, at the instigation of American speculators, he went to Nicaragua with 62 followers, and in con- junction with a small native force de- feated a Nicaraguan army of 540 men at Rivas. He then took the city of Gre- nada, and through a treaty with Gen. Pon- ciano Corral, his antagonist, he was made Secretary of War and Commander-in- Chief. He established a government, but was driven from power, and surrendered to the United States authorities in May, 1857. In June, 1860, he invested Hon- duras; was captured by the commander of the British man-of-war "Icarus"; and was delivered to the Honduras authorities. After being tried by court- martial he was shot in Trujillo, Hondu- ras Sept, 12, 1860. He was the author of "The War in Nicaragua" (1860). WALKER, WILLIAM SIDNEY, a British poet; born in Pembroke, Wales, Dec. 4, 1795. He was a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge (1820-1829), be- coming blind during that time. Besides translating a "Collection of Latin Poets" (new ed. 1854) ), he wrote "Gustavus Vasa" (1813), an epic poem; "Shake- speare's Versification" (3d ed. 1859) ; "Critical Examination of the Text of Shakespeare" (3 vols. 1859). "Poetical Remains," with a memoir, appeared in 1852. He died in London, Oct. 15, 1846. WALKER, WILLISTON, an Ameri- can clergyman; born in Portland, Me., July 1, 1860; was graduated at Amherst College in 1883 and at Hartford Theo- logical Seminary iti 1886; was Professor of Church History in Hartford Theo- logical Seminary in 1889-1901, In the latter year he became professor of eccle- siastical history at Yale. His works in- clude: "On the Increase of Royal Power under Philip Augustus"; "History of the Congregational Church in the United States"; "The Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism" (1898); "The Ref- ormation" (1900); "Ten New England Leaders" (1901); "History of the Christian Church (1918). WALKING STICK, in entomology, a popular name for any species of the family Phasmidae, from the fact that they are destitute of wings, and resemble dry twigs so closely that, except for their motion, it is difficult to believe they are really alive. They are natives of sub- tropical and the warmer temperate re- gions, and walk gently among the branches of trees, reposing in the sun, with their long, antennae-like legs stretched out in front; called also ani- mated sticks, walking straws, etc. WALLACE, ALFRED RUSSELL, an English naturalist; born in Usk, Mon- mouthshire, England, Jan. 8, 1823; was educated at Hertford grammer school. He spent many years in traveling, es- pecially in South America and the Asiatic Islands. His observation of animal life early led him on the track of natural selection, and before Darwin gave his famous work to the world he had published "Speculations on the Or- igin of Species." Wallace differed from Darwin on the subject of the intellectual, moral, spiritual nature of man, and claimed to be at once a Darwinian and an anti-materialist. He was president of the Land Nationalization Society and a member of various scientific bodies. The Royal Society of London awarded him the royal medal in 1868, and the Geographical Society of Paris the gold medal in 1870. He wrote: "Travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro" ; "The Malay Archipelago"; "Tropical Nature";