A MEETING OF RIVALS 229 



the drawing of the upper bird only, which he designated 

 as a male, and the original still exists, with clearly writ- 

 ten notes showing that it was executed in Louisiana in 

 1821. 22 



Audubon usually made up his drawings for the en- 

 graver with great care, but when pressed for time, Ha- 

 vell's skill was such that he often depended upon him to 

 complete or change his figures, to fill in backgrounds, 

 or even to combine several distinct figures into one 

 plate, specific directions for all such changes being usu- 

 ally written on the drawing itself. 23 Inasmuch as no 

 penciled directions whatever occur on this particular 

 drawing, is it possible that Havell, in piecing it out to 

 improve the composition, followed his own initiative, 

 not fully appreciating the stigma that is rightly attached 

 to such methods? The bird in the lower half of the plate, 

 which was appropriated from Wilson, is misrepresented 

 as a female, so that the composite, as it stands, is a re- 

 markable product, supposedly depicting a pair but in 

 reality showing two males. Although the apparent dif- 

 ference in sex in this bird was admittedly slight, it is 

 improbable that so gross an error could have escaped 

 the naturalist's eye had he been directly concerned with 

 the result. 



When Audubon was descending the Mississippi in 

 December, 1820, he saw the kites busily engaged "in 

 catching small lizards off the bark of dead cypress trees," 

 but "having at that time no crayons or paper," he "did 



22 On this drawing, which with Audubon's other originals is in the col- 

 lections of the Historical Society of New York, the legends are as follows: 

 "Mississippi Kite, Male, Falco mississippiensis ; Drawn from nature by 

 John J. Audubon, Louisiana, parish of Feliciana, James Perrie's Esq., 

 Plantation. June 28th, 1821. Length 14 inches; Breadth 3 feet, y a inches; 

 Weight 10% ounces; Tail feathers, 12." It is drawn in his usual style of 

 that period, in pastel, water color and pencil, and has been dismounted. 



23 See Vol. I, p. 305. 



