EARLY DRAWINGS 183 



Arkansas, when Audubon was exploring that country 

 and slowly making his way to New Orleans in June, 



1821, though it should be noticed that a steamboat on 

 which he sometimes traveled was called the Red River. 



Audubon began in the usual way, by representing 

 his birds in profile, and often on a simple perch, but 

 gradually introduced accessories which eventually be- 

 came such an important part of his plan that, after 



1822, his plates took on more the character of balanced 

 pictures, literally teeming with the characteristic fruits 

 and flowers of America, as well as with insects and 

 animals of every sort, suggestive of the food and sur- 

 roundings of his subjects, not to speak of American 

 landscapes drawn from many parts of the country. 



Dissatisfied with the older methods of drawing birds 

 in the stereotyped attitudes of most stuffed specimens, 

 Audubon made many experiments at "Mill Grove" be- 

 fore hitting upon what he called his "method" of using 

 wires to pierce and hold the body of the bird in any 

 attitude which he desired to represent. His device, 

 which was simple only for one who possessed the requi- 

 site knowledge and skill, was publicly exhibited at a 

 meeting of the Wernerian Society at Edinburgh on 

 December 16, 1826. A recently killed bird was fixed in 

 the position desired by means of wires, and placed 

 against a background ruled with division lines in squares 

 to correspond with similar lines on Audubon's paper. 

 The parts, measured if necessary with compasses, were 

 then drawn in, and every part was rendered in due pro- 

 portion. As to the difficulty of thus securing natural 

 attitudes, aside from any question of draughtsmanship, 

 we have only to recall the bungling work of most taxi- 

 dermists; there are careful students of animal life who 

 are able to reanimate their subjects, even when reduced 



