126 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



sist him with the technical portions of the Ornithological 

 Biography. The part which his young assistant played 

 in this work was long a subject of dispute, until letters 

 of both which showed the precise character of the rela- 

 tions between them were finally published. 



Immediately upon his return to England Audubon 

 again applied to his young friend, and received from 

 him the following letter : 2 



William MacGillivray to Audubon 



Edinburgh, 11 Gilmore Place. 

 28 th May 1834. 



Dear Sir, 



1 am glad to hear of your safe arrival, which I did not 

 expect so soon, and pleased to find you in good health and 

 high spirits. As you have the kindness to inquire respecting 

 myself and family, I am happy to inform you that we are all 

 very well, contented and busy. My head and hands are quite 

 full — abundance of work and sufficient pay — time to ramble 

 now and then for the purpose of hammering rocks, pulling 

 plants, and shooting birds. 



You say you have accumulated a mass of materials which 

 you are desirous of seeing in print, and propose that I should 

 revise it as before. I shall be glad to do so, if you please, and 

 willing that you confer the benefit on another, if you find it 

 expedient. As to the terms, let them be such as you please 

 with respect to money ; but as time is valuable to me, I should 

 like that arrangements be made so as to prevent unnecessary 

 loss of it, by letting me have manuscripts, books, &c. in due 

 array. 



The skins of which you speak I apprehend cannot be dis- 

 posed of here to any great extent ; but I believe shells might be 

 sold to advantage, and bring higher prices than in London. 



You ask if I draw Birds yet, with a view to publish. My 



2 First published by Elliott Coues (Bibl. No. 43) in the Bulletin of 

 the Nuttall Ornitholoc/ical Club, vol. v (1880). 



