This collection consists of materials dated from approximately 1850-1981, but predominantly from 1913-1940, relating to Dr. Casey Albert Wood’s research, writing, correspondence, and personal interest concerning ornithology, vertebrate zoology, memoir and family history, Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Library collection development, ophthalmology, politics, and current events. Materials relate chiefly to Wood’s “Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology” (1921-1956), falconry (1930s), his unpublished memoir (1930s), the development of McGill University’s Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Libraries (1918-1941), the history of ophthalmology (1925-1936), “Fundus Oculi” (1911-1934), his travels and research expeditions studying birds in their natural habitat (1920-1940), political interests, and correspondence relating to these activities and subjects.

There are approximately 2902 incoming and outgoing pieces of correspondence including letters, postcards, notes, telegrams, and cards. Series 1) Research and writing, contains the largest volume of correspondence relating to “the Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology.” While Series 2) Research trips, contains the largest portion of photographs. Other materials in this collection include research notes, manuscripts, page and galley proofs, book and article reprint publications, postcards, artwork, glass plate negatives, book plates, palm leaf manuscripts, artefacts, printed ephemera, clippings, journals, and administration and financial records relating to Wood’s publications or the Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Libraries.

There are gaps within this collection relating to geographic locations, as not all locations Wood is known to have visited are represented or are only minimally represented. Asian countries, such as China or Japan, are not represented in this collection. While geographic locations that are prominent within the collection are Fiji, Sri Lanka and India.

The series consists of 1) research and writing (ca. 1850-1956); 2) research trips (1920-1937); 3) scrapbooks (1887-1946); 4) collection development (1918-1941); 5) published books (1907-1981); 6) artefacts (191-?, 1920-1937); and 7) glass negative plates (1924, 1927, 1930, 1956).

This subseries consists of 11 volumes, correspondence files, and a box of notecards dated from 1921-1956 relating to Wood's publication “An Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology” published in 1931 and collection development within the Emma Shearer Wood and Blacker Libraries at McGill University. The volumes and files contain correspondence, handwritten and typed annotated manuscripts, proof sheets, the publication, notecards listing recipients of the publication, prints, printed ephemera, clippings, financial and administrative records, book reviews, and McGill Library catalogue listings related to the works within “An Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology.” Additional professional projects are also represented in the subseries including “Coloured Plates of the Birds of Ceylon,” the Passing of John III, and Wood’s translation of Benevenutus Grassus’ de Oculis.
There are 1313 incoming and outgoing correspondence letters, telegrams, and cards; the largest volume in the collection. The correspondents are located internationally and include public, academic, government, and army libraries; museums, clubs and societies, literary journals, publishers, etc.. Some individuals and companies addressed include Lillian Bates, William Henry Mousley, Gerhard R. Lomer, W. W. Francis, Robert de Resillac Roese, S. R. Burrell, Robert Blacker, Miss Hanington, Elizabeth E. Abbott, John and Edward Bumpus Ltd., Oxford University Press, Sun Engraving Co., Parker & Sons Ltd., Herbert Putnam, George Iles, Colonel F. H. Garrison, Dr. Melville Black, W. J. Belcher, Smithsonian Institute, Dr. Maude Abbott, Dr. A. D. Blackader, R. R. James, Pierpont Morgan Library, Humphrey Milford, Basil H. Soulsby, William F. Petersen, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Natural History Museum, Dr. Robert A. Millikan, Douglas H. Campbell, A. J. Swann, Sir Arthur W. Currie, Alexander Wetmore, E. Cowles Andrus, and John Johnson.

This series consists of 30 bound volumes either published by Casey A. Wood, used for reference during his research and writing projects, or published on his professional career and publications. The volumes are dated from 1907-1981, with predominant dates from 1923-1936. Wood's publications focus on his international work in ornithology between 1915-1936 and were published in prominent ornithological journals such as the Smithsonian Report, Auk, Ibis, Bird-Lore, Condor Magazine, McGill Publications, etc.

Two volumes contain a number of Wood’s published books and one also includes newspaper clippings related to Fiji, Ceylon, Sinhalese coins, and McGill Library collection materials. One volume of "A Collection of Birds from the Fiji Islands" includes presentations notes from W. J. Belcher on birds from Fiji dated December 14, 1936.

The files used for Wood’s research dated from 1907-1937 include publications on Emperor Frederick II and falconry, English-Italian dictionaries, and ornithology library catalogues. This series also contains the 1981 Casey Wood Bio-bibliography compiled by E. C. Astbury. Not all of Wood’s publications are present within this series, however various iterations of the manuscripts or parts of manuscripts not represented within this series may be present in other series.

Individual cataloguing records of volumes can be found in the McGill library catalogue.

This series consists of research, writing, and correspondence files relating to Casey Wood's major and minor publications and unpublished works, as well as, others assisting in Wood's publications, research, or writing about Wood. The majority of the research and writing materials for Wood's published and unpublished works were created between 1920-1940, while other materials collected during Wood's life, those associated with his memoir and obituary, date from approximately 1850-1943.
Some prominent writings by Wood include “Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology” (1921-1956), his unpublished memoir (ca. 1850-1939), “Fundus Oculi” (1911-1934), Wood family history (1920-1940), “Birds of Fiji” (1920-1928), “Through Forest and Jungle in Kashmir and North India” (1921-1934); Persian, Arabic and Hindustani manuscripts (1927-1934); and “The Art of Falconry” (1942).
The series consists of many volumes and files containing a number of record types including manuscripts, typescripts, proofs, publications, photographs, correspondence, clippings, printed material, postcards, journals, administrative and financial records, and artwork. Some of the volumes are scrapbooks containing many of these materials mounted within, while others include similar materials bound within. These volumes do not necessarily have a clear organization but are sometimes arranged chronologically or by correspondent.

There are 2230 incoming and outgoing pieces of correspondence including letters, postcards, notes, telegrams, and cards. Subseries 1) Introduction to the Literature of Vertebrate Zoology includes 1313 pieces of correspondence, the largest number of correspondence within the collection.