366 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



He writes close lines, rather curved as they go from left to 

 right, and puts an immense deal on very little paper. ... I 

 talked little, but, believe me, I listened and observed. 



Two days later Audubon paid Scott a second visit, this 

 time with his portfolio, but little was recorded of this 

 interview other than that it was more agreeable than 

 the first, and that he greatly admired the accomplished 

 Miss Scott, to whom he later sent as a gift the first 

 number of his plates. Audubon's drawings were ex- 

 hibited at a meeting of the Royal Society over which 

 Sir Walter presided, and Scott was also in attendance 

 at the Royal Institution when Audubon's large paint- 

 ing of the Black Cocks was shown. "We talked much" 

 on this occasion, said the naturalist, "and I would have 

 gladly joined him in a glass of wine, but my foolish 

 habits prevented me." This restriction on wine was 

 soon removed, as was that on whisky, whether of the 

 Scotch or Kentucky brand, and during his later life in 

 America Audubon was never a teetotaler by any means. 

 While at the Exhibition Sir Walter pointed to Land- 

 seer's picture of the dying stag, saying, "many such 

 scenes, Mr. Audubon, have I witnessed in my younger 

 days." Audubon was doubtless too polite to express an 

 opinion of that popular artist, though of that very pic- 

 ture he had written in his journal three days before that 

 there was no nature in it, and that he considered it a 

 farce; "the stag," he said, "had his tongue out, and his 

 mouth shut! The principal dog, a greyhound, held the 

 deer by one ear, just as if a loving friend; the young 

 hunter had laced the deer by one horn very prettily, 

 and in the attitude of a ballet-dancer was about to cast 

 the noose over the head of the animal." 



Scott and Audubon were kindred spirits in their love 



