IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC 33 



discoveries of Land and Water Birds. Should you, yet be 

 able to go to Florida and the Pacific, I apprehend that you will 

 extend our American Ornithology to 460 or 470 species, per- 

 haps more. Your sons being able to skin birds and paint them, 

 is a great desideratum ; it should be mentioned in the preface 

 to your next volume. The talents of the family combined. . . . 

 will now place the work beyond the fear of falling through, even 

 in case of your death, and the public ought to know it. But 

 you must push for subscribers. If your son Victor can do 

 nothing in Europe, you must go there yourself, and sooner 

 than let the work suffer, you must go on a pilgrimage through- 

 out all the great cities of our Union. Should God spare your 

 life, I want to hear of you enjoying, in your old age "Otium 

 cum dignitate," and to see your children reaping some of your 

 recompense. 



Under date of December 20, 1832, his friend "had 

 nothing to write but bad news," and hoped "to see our 

 political atmosphere a little brighter. Do not ask me 

 about birds ; I do not know a Buzzard from a King Bird. 

 . . . Oh, what an enjoyment it would be for me to 

 escape, just for one week, from the hydra-headed 'Nulli- 

 fication,' and sit by your side and talk birds !" 



Audubon was anticipating his third volume of plates, 

 devoted mainly to water birds, which was begun with 

 Number 45, in 1834, when the following letter was sent 

 to his son in London: 



Audubon to his Son, Victor 



Boston, Jany, 17 th, 1833 — . 

 My dear Victor — 



The Columbia arrived yesterday at New York, and 

 N [icholas]. B [erthoud]. has forwarded us Mr. Havell's let- 

 ter and yours, both dated 30 th. of November last — . I hope 

 soon to see the drawings to work on them — . You give no 



