TO EUROPE AND SUCCESS 375 



invited to contribute, a single volume of plates and text 

 having then been published. 22 



At Newcastle, where Audubon spent a week, he 

 saw much of its grand old man, Thomas Bewick, "the 

 first wood cutter in the world," and conceived a deep 

 regard for him, which he afterwards expressed in one 

 of his "Episodes." As they parted, this great son of 

 nature held him closely by the hand, and for the third 

 time repeated, "God preserve you!" "I looked at him 

 in such a manner," said Audubon, "that I am sure he 

 understood I could not speak." 



22 Illustrations of British Ornithology, by Prideaux John Selby. The 

 British Museum copy of this work is in two large folio volumes (measur- 

 ing about 25 y 2 by 20y 2 inches), and was issued originally in numbers 

 which appeared at irregular intervals. Vol. I, plates i-iv (of bills, heads, 

 and feet), i-c (of land birds); most of the plates are by Selby, and many 

 were etched by him and autographed, 1819-1821 ; plates xiv, xvi, and xx are 

 by Captain R. Mitford, whose home, "Mitford Castle," near Morpeth, 

 Northumberland, was visited by Audubon in April, 1827; published at 

 Edinburgh by Archibald Constable & Co., and by Hurst, Robinson & 

 Co., London, 1825 (?)-1827. Volume II, plates i-ciii; printed for the 

 Proprietor & published by W. H. Lizars, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, 

 Green & Longman, London; and W. Curry, Junr. & Co., Dublin, 

 MDCCCXXXIV. Quaritch, in offering a copy in 1887, at £55, stated 

 that there were 383 figures, in 221 colored plates, and that the pub- 

 lished price was £105. Newton (Dictionary of Birds, p. 27) says that 

 the first series of these "Illustrations" was published in cooperation with 

 Sir William Jardine, in 3 volumes of 150 plates, in 1827-1835, after which 

 a second series was started by them, and completed in a single volume 

 of 53 plates, issued in 1843. This was the "job book" mentioned earlier 

 in this chapter (see p. 358), but neither Jardine's nor Jameson's name is 

 mentioned in the volumes which I have examined. 



In a letter to Audubon, dated "Sept. I3h 1830 Twizel [1?] House," and 

 postmarked "Belford," Selby said: "I expect to bring my own work to a 

 conclusion during the course of this winter having only the plates of another 

 Number to finish. I am happy to add that the Work is doing well & is 

 more than paying itself. The second Vol: of letter press will appear with 

 the last No." 



Two volumes of text were published in 1825 and 1833 respectively; 

 the first, after readjustment to fit the "quinarian doctrine," to which 

 Selby was a temporary convert (see Vol. II, p. 94), was issued in a second 

 edition at London, in 1841; the second volume bore the imprint of Lizars, 

 who soon after began to work for Audubon. 



Selby's plates were for the most part rather crudely drawn, etched 

 and colored, and could be commended only as the work of amateurs 

 who strove for accuracy. 



