PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 117 



admiration at the ease and enlightenment of his conversation. 

 Plants and animals with which he was unfamiliar aroused in him 

 a sort of delirium or ecstacy. At night Audubon was surprised 

 by an uproar in the naturalist's apartment. On reaching it to 

 ascertain the cause, he found his guest divested of all clothing, 

 rushing about the room engaged in a sanguinary contest with the 

 bats which had entered by the open window. His weapon was the 

 handle of Audubon's favorite violin, which had been demolished 

 in the fray. Without noticing the entrance of his host he con 

 tinued his extraordinary gyrations until he was so exhausted that 

 he could hardly use his voice to request that Audubon would ob 

 tain a specimen for him, as he was convinced they were of a new 

 species. 



Notwithstanding this unpromising beginning, Rafinesque re 

 mained three weeks in Audubon's family, who became perfectly 

 reconciled to his oddities and found him a most agreeable and in 

 telligent companion. One evening, however, he suddenly dis 

 appeared, without a word to anyone, and it was only after some 

 weeks that a letter was received which assured his entertainers of 

 his gratitude and his safety. 



In contrast to his carelessness about his personal appearance, 

 the older Silliman speaks of his beautiful and exact chirography, 

 and says that his communications were always in the neatest pos 

 sible forrp. Even in his direst poverty he always retained friends 

 and admirers. It is certain that he must have possessed many 

 lovable qualities. 



In this connection we may call to mind a friend, Charles A. 

 Poulsen, of Philadelphia, who was devoted to conchology and had 

 a fine collection. Mr. Poulsen translated Rafinesque's " Mono 

 graph of the Bivalve shells of the river Ohio" in 1832, and for 

 years his cabinet was resorted to in the vain hope of positively 

 determining some of Rafinesque's ill-defined species. Mr. Poulsen 

 died in Philadelphia in 1866, and I have heard that his collection 



