112 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



kinds of birds' eggs, carefully blown out and strung on a 

 thread. The chimney-piece was covered with stuffed squirrels, 

 racoons, and opossums ; and the shelves around were likewise 

 crowded with specimens, among which were fishes, frogs, snakes, 

 lizards, and other reptiles. Besides these stuffed varieties, 

 many paintings were arrayed on the walls, chiefly of birds. 

 He had great skill in stuffing and preserving animals of all 

 sorts. He had also a trick in training dogs with great per- 

 fection, of which art his famous dog, Zephyr, was a wonder- 

 ful example. He was an admirable marksman, an expert swim- 

 mer, a clever rider, possessed of great activity, prodigious 

 strength, and was notable for the elegance of his figure and 

 the beauty of his features, and he aided nature by a careful at- 

 tendance to his dress. Besides other accomplishments he was 

 musical, a good fencer, danced well, and had some acquain- 

 tance with legerdemain tricks, worked in hair, and could plait 

 willow baskets. 



