William Henry Hudson was born of American parents on the Argentine pampas south of Buenos Aires on August 4, 1841. In the 1830s his father, Daniel Hudson, took the advice of his doctor to seek a healthier climate and purchased a ranch named "The Twentyfive Ombus" after its native softwood trees. When William was five, the family moved to a more remote and isolated ranch, The Acacias." Until his death in 1868, Daniel Hudson operated the ranch and a small store, earning enough to provide for his wife and six children but never becoming affluent. Since there was no school nearby and the family could not afford boarding schools, the Hudson children were largely self-taught.

As a child, W. H. Hudson developed and nurtured a passionate interest in nature, especially birds. His most enjoyable and memorable activities involved exploring the flora and fauna of the area surrounding...