This American naturalist as a young man was active at the Academy of Natural Sciences, publishing scientific treatises on fishes, birds and related subjects. Later he turned to popular and juvenile writings about nature. Concurrently many archaeological treatises appeared under his name.

During his most prolific period as a popular writer, he carried on a lively correspondence with Mrs. Julia Stockton Robins of Haverford, Pa. Essentially these letters signed by Abbott form a diary of his field observations near Trenton, N. J. and the progress of his writing and publication arrangements, 1895-1900. Included are a few pages of Abbott's reminiscences written in 1915 and copied by H. W. Fowler, giving a summarized history of the home farm, “Three Beeches,” where his popular works were prepared.