and carefully prepared series of suggestions for aiding Mr. Audubon in the procuring of examples, notes, etc., to be used by him in the preparation of the last volume of his great work:

To

"My young friend will oblige me much by attending to the following memorandums for the sake of his friend J. J. Audubon. wit: I wish him to send me, through Nicholas Berthoud, Esq., of New York, all the observations he can make on the habits, etc., of all such species of birds as he may have had opportunity to study, and that are comprised in my three volumes of ornithological biographies. Also the close descriptions of nests and eggs which he may have identified, with the localities, situations, and dates. I wish him also to try to procure for me and preserve in rum the following species of birds, by pairs where possible, or at all events single.....

"Should any new species present itself, I would recommend its being placed in a bottle or jar, with memoranda of season, etc. I par- | ticularly wish him to have accurate drawings | of all such birds' eggs as he may have or can procure that are not yet in my possession, recollecting that these drawings must be transmitted to me at London by the first day of April, 1838. And with my sincerest good wishes and esteem I wish him to consider me always as his friend and servant,

distribution of the birds of North America—
the dates of their presence in your State, such
as breed therein, and those that simply pass
over, are all wanted. If I can have this by
the 1st of April next in London, it will do.
"God bless you!
J. J. A."

"LONDON, Oct. 29, 1837.

"MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,-I have within the course of a fortnight been exceedingly pleased by the receiving of three letters from you, two containing much valuable information connected with several species of our birds, and the other six drawings of eggs, for the whole of which I truly thank you. I wrote to you about a fortnight ago, giving you notice that John Bethune, of Cambridge, will deliver to you a good number of very rare birds' eggs, but that the box containing all those collected during my last expedition to the Gulf of Mexico has never come to hand. I am delighted to see that you have procured specimens of our gannet,* as I think, if I get them here, I shall be able to prove our bird a distinct species from the Sula barsana of Europe. I authorize you to offer and to pay as much as five dollars for an old raven, in the flesh, and perfect as far as internals are concerned. European writers who a few years since were all agog to prove that our apparently analogous species were identical with those of Europe have suddenly faced about,' and pronounce our birds to be quite distinct species, and of course now say that our raven is indeed our raven! and all this because I proved that the Corvus corone of Europe existed not in America. All this induces the present natural student of nature to have his eyes and all his senses fully open, and to see into things further than we can into grindstones. Nuttall has procured Picus audubonit (a new species) in the full adult plumage, near Cambridge. Will you attend to this? The bird is a link between the downy "As to the drawings of eggs for me, I have and the hairy woodpeckers. It has a yellow only to repeat, have them drawn correctly by upper head-dress. Its bill is rather curved in any one you may choose, and make such a bar- its upper mandible, and pointed at tip, as in gain as you would make for yourself; but I the subgenus called Colaptes. Charles Bonabeg of you to be prompt, as it is now well ascer- parte, who has just this moment left me, has tained that my engravings will be finished by kindly proffered me his new North American the middle of March. Birds in the flesh, and species, and I hope to figure them all, thereby in rum, which you may be able to procure ac- rendering my work the more complete, if not cording to the list I gave yon-their arrival quite perfect, as far as truly well-known spein England by the 1st of May next will be incies are now thought to exist in the limits of good time to answer my purposes. Only try to fill that list, if possible.

"NEW YORK, July 13, 1837."

"JOHN J. AUDUBON.

The following letter, dated London, September 14, 1837, after referring to the probable loss, by some unexplained cause, of a large portion of all his collections made in Texas, and the disappointment thereby occasioned to himself and others, adds:

"I am ever exceedingly engaged in the arranging and preparing the matter for my fourth volume of text, which I think will prove more laborious than that of any of the preceding, as I have it in contemplation to revise in it all that I have hitherto published. Pray forward to me all your memoranda and observations connected with our birds, and also as complete a list of the birds of Massachusetts as you can obtain. Such a list will prove of great assistance to me in my paper on the geographical

|

our country, or indeed those of North America. Spare not money in the market if wanted to

*This letter is interesting as showing that his attention had been called to the supposed differences of nearly all our American species from the analogous forms of Europe. At present no specific disand ravens and those of the Old World. tinctions are supposed to exist between our gannets

† Picus auduboni is not now recognized as a valid species, but only as a local variety of the hairy woodpecker.

Charles Lucien Bonaparte, Prince of Canino, a distinguished ornithologist.

that you will send me at least half a dozen of the hermit thrush (Turdus solitarius of Wilskins of the Clangula vulgaris,* or any resem-son),* their description, that of their nests, and bling that bird, killed as late in the present whatever you may know about this species, winter or approach of spring as possible. This and the same as regards the tawny thrush species lies in great darkness with most Eu- (Turdus mustelinus of Wilson, but now Turdus ropean ornithologists, and naught but clearly wilsonius of Bonaparte Synopsis). Serions misproved facts will satisfy the world." takes are now apparent in the history of these two species, which I am very desirous to correct in my appendix. Try to send your answer by the Great Western steamer, and address to No. 1 Wharton Place, Lauriston, Edinburgh. Should you have any new facts as regards the cow bunting, please send them also. John Bachman has been with us for about one week, but leaves to-day for London and the Continent. He is quite well, and we all join in best wishes to you and yours. In great haste, your sincere friend, JOHN J. AUDUBON.

"Should you have procured rare eggs this season, pray send me their measurement exact, and the descriptions of their colors and markings."

"LONDON, May 26, 1838. "Edward Harris, one of the best men of this world, reached our house yesterday at noon, after a pleasant passage of fourteen days and a few hours. He gave me your kind letter of the 1st inst., and as the Sirius leaves London to-day, I answer it at once. Do not fear, my dear friend, that I should ever blame younay, it is not in my nature to blame any one, least of all such a one as yourself, who has indeed done so much for me, and that, too, under the most disadvantageous circumstances. To have received the skins of the ducks in question would certainly have been pleasing to me; but who can perform impossibilities in the present age of non-miracles? I am glad "NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 1839. that you have seen some of the plates of the "MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,-This will be rare species of birds which I have lately pub-presented to you by Mr. Gibbs,t of South Carolished, and I hope the long train of those lina, who, besides being an excellent botanist, which you have not yet looked at, because not a friend of John Bachman, etc., is a most inin America as yet, will interest you equally. teresting and amiable person. I recommend My illustrations will be finished on the 20th this gentleman to your kind care. I thank of next month, and the fourth volume of text you for your handsome notice of me in one of shortly afterward. In the latter you will oft- your city papers. I have brought a box of en see your own name quoted, and I trust not eggs of birds from Edinburgh for you. It conto your disadvantage. Your birds have ar- tains specimens of over seventy species. This rived safely, and I have no doubt will answer I would have forwarded to you by Mr. Gibbs, all my expectations, but the pressure of busi- but it is in a larger box, containing birds' skins ness has prevented me thus late from examin- and other matters, which I can not open at ing them. present, but I shall very soon, as we are going into a house where we will remain for some time.

"How would you like to trip it over the Rocky Mountains next spring in company with Ed. Harris, Townsend, and about forty others? It would be a grand opportunity to study the rarest of our birds of that quarter, and also to procure their eggs. Harris tells me that such an expedition is now on talk, and that he feels quite anxious to join it. I wish that I were young again-how soon I would be ready! When I return to our beloved land, I intend to spend a full season about the lakes in Northern Vermont, for, from what I hear, much knowledge is to be acquired there and thereabouts.

"With kindest remembrances to your family and other friends, believe me truly yours, "JOHN J. AUDUBON."

"EDINBURGH, July 19, 1838. "MY DEAR YOUNG FRIEND,-You will oblige me greatly if, on the receipt of this, you would send me the exact dimensions of the eggs of

severe pecuniary disappointments and losses from the failure of subscribers.

*The golden-eyed or whistling duck. The American form is by some regarded as a distinct species from, but is very similar to, the European species.

"Now that I am about to commence the publication of the Quadrupeds of North America, I will expect your assistance in the procuring for me of all such subjects as may easily be obtained around you. John Bachman is about to give the whole of his collections and his notes to me; and as I intend to open a pretty general correspondence in different parts of the Union, I trust to be enabled to proceed roundly on this fresh undertaking. I should like to know whether you are likely to visit this city soon, as I have much more to say to you than would cover many, many sheets of paper. Let me know how your time is employed at present, or is likely to be taken up for two or three months. I should like to take

* What was then known as the hermit thrush

has been since ascertained to include three distinct species-the true hermit and the olive-backed thrushes (summer residents in Northern New England), and the Turdus alicia, an arctic species. The egg of the first-named only was then known by a single example in the writer's cabinet.

† Professor Lewis R. Gibbs.

The Boston Atlas, of which paper the writer was an assistant editor.

a ramble with you along the borders of the famous lakes in New Hampshire, Vermont, etc., ere the winter sets in.

Fourth of July, 1846, in obedience to an urgent invitation to visit him "ere it should be too late," and to spend a day with him at his new home. This estate, called by him "Minnies-land" in honor of his cherished wife, was in the northwestern borders of New York city, on the banks of the Hudson. There it was my well-remembered privilege to spend a long

"My son Victor forwarded yesterday a parcel of my Synopsis of the Birds of our country to our bookseller at Boston, and as it is probable that some of your ornithological friends may need such a book, please to inform them of its existence. If you have it in your power to send me a list of the quadrupeds known to exist in Massachusetts, pray do so at your ear-summer's day in his venerable society. I liest convenience. Has your collection of eggs augmented much since I saw you, and do you still continue to collect such curiosities? How are the members of your family What does the Natural History Society in the way of publications, collections, etc.? Do you see anything of novel occurrence in the way of birds nowadays? I wish to hear from you on all these subjects. Present my kindest regards to your family circle and all friends, and believe me to be sincerely yours,

"JOHN J. AUDUBON."

"NEW YORK, April 26, 1844.

“MY DEAR FRIEND, I received your letter last evening, and now write to you in answer that, with God's will and fair weather, I will leave this for Boston on the 1st or 2d of May (next month), and you will oblige me greatly by writing the article that you so kindly promised to me when I saw you last time. I wish, should you speak of the little work on birds, that you would express your surprise at hearing that many of my subscribers were not willing to take the last few numbers, all of which are altogether filled with species not hitherto known, and first described by me. I have taken the liberty to name one of these birds after your good name, and I trust that you will look upon this as a memento of my constant good-wishes toward you and all of those who bear your dear name.

"With kind regards to all friends, believe me yours sincerely, JOHN J. AUDUBON."

This was the last letter the writer received from Mr. Audubon save an occasional brief note. Indeed, it was not long after its date that the mind of the great naturalist began to show symptoms of failing, and he to exhibit in his person the rapid changes wrought both in the physical and in the moral man by his longcontinued and exhausting labors. Yet were his closing days calm, peaceful, and serene, only darkened by the clouds of successive bereavements caused by the death of several whom he dearly loved. The wife of his friend Dr. Bachman and her two daughters, the wives of his sons, were losses he keenly felt.

It was the writer's privilege to meet with his friend for the last time on the

found him in a retreat well worthy of so true a lover of nature. It was a truly lovely spot, on a well-wooded point running out into the river. His dwelling

was a large old-fashioned wooden house, from the veranda of which was a fine view, looking both up and down the stream, and around the dwelling were grouped several fine old forest trees of beech and oak. The grounds were well stocked with pets of various kinds, both birds and beasts, while his wild feathered favorites, hardly less confiding, had their nests over his very doorway. Through the grounds ran a small rivulet, over which was a picturesque rural bridge.

The patriarch, then about sixty-six years old, had greatly changed since I had last seen him. He wore his hair longer, and it now hung down in locks of snowy whiteness over his shoulders.

His once

piercing gray eyes, though still bright, had already begun to fail him. He could no longer paint with his wonted accuracy, and had at last, most reluctantly, been forced to surrender to his sons the task of completing the illustrations to his Quadrupeds of North America. Surrounded by his large family, including his devoted wife, his two sons with their wives, and quite a troop of grandchildren, his enjoyment of life seemed to leave to him little to desire. He was very fond of the rising generation, and they were as devoted in their affectionate regards for him. He seemed to enjoy to the utmost each moment of time, content at last to submit to an inevitable and well-earned leisure, and to throw upon his gifted sons his uncompleted tasks. A pleasanter scene or a more interesting household it has never been the writer's good fortune to witness. Five years afterward the spirit of its great master had taken its final flight. The "American Woodsman," the unequalled painter, the gifted historian of nature, had died as he had lived, surrounded by all that

"should accompany old age,

As honor, love, obedience, troops of friends."

the "cloudy seas" and the bold islands of the Hebrides. For here, on this lonely hill, without a stone to mark her grave, rests the bravest and the fairest of the Macdonalds: the devoted adherent of the Stuarts against the house of Hanover in England; the eager partisan of the house of Hanover against the colonists in Amer

Ta
THE world, even in its hero worship, is
a discriminating world. It indeed
loves all greatness, but it dearly loves
successful greatness; and it is not to the
martyrs of lost causes" that it sings an-
thems and erects monuments. Even
among the ranks of this abortive chival-ica.
ry it exercises a partial respect. The hon-
orably born have more than their just
share of honor thrust upon them; those
of humbler birth are often mulcted of
even that fair proportion which they have
too well earned.

Such reflections as these, mingled perhaps with some indignation, must force themselves upon the hearts of all who stand once in a lifetime within the beautiful kirk-yard of Kilmuir, and look over

It was in 1853 I stood within the ruinous family mausoleum of the Macdonalds of Kingsburgh. Anxiously I pushed aside the high thistles to look for some remnant of a headstone that her sons had placed above her grave in 1790; but every particle had been carried away by admiring pilgrims, and its only guardian was the somewhat remarkable growth of Scotch thistles that not inappropriately shook over it their purple blooms.