178 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



ties of science than the most artistic productions of the 

 pen, pencil or brush. 



Audubon's labors in England, however, did not end 

 with the completion of his plates, for two volumes of 

 his "Biographies" still remained to be published. He was 

 in London during the early summer of 1838, when he 

 recorded a visit from John Bachman, who had come to 

 Europe for the recuperation of his health. He was then 

 obliged to hasten to Edinburgh, where he was soon 

 joined by both Bachman and Victor Audubon and 

 later by other members of his family. For the con- 

 venience of work he took rooms near the museums, on 

 the south side of the city, not far from Lauriston Place 

 and within easy reach of "The Meadows," a well known 

 recreation ground. 



The following letter, 6 sent to his son John soon after 

 his arrival at the Scottish capital, and addressed "No. 4 

 Wimpole Street, London," abounds in interesting per- 

 sonal details, but the student of birds would find more 

 significant its clear statement of his relations with Mac- 

 Gillivray ; it shows us the anatomist at work, and Audu- 

 bon as his student and "secretary." "Under his kind 

 tuition," he said, when writing at a little later time, "I 

 think I have learned something of anatomy, which may 

 enable me, at some future period, to produce observa- 

 tions that may prove interesting . . ." 



Audubon to his Son, John 



Edinburgh, July 1 st, 1838, Sunday. 

 My dearest friends 



Your joint letter of the 27 th Wednesday, did not reach 

 me until yesterday afternoon, probably because the steamer 



6 First published by R. W. Shufeldt (Bibl. No. 45), in The Auk, xi 

 (1894); see also Maria R. Audubon, Audubon and his Journals (Bibl. No. 

 86). 



