28 IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



pressed upon me that nothing in the world possessing life 

 and animation was easy to imitate, and that as I grew older 

 he hoped I would become more and more alive to this. He 

 was so kind to me, and so deeply interested in my improve- 

 ment, that to have listened carelessly to his serious words 

 would have been highly ungrateful. I listened less to 

 others, more to him, and his words became my law." 

 He was growing now. He thus continues: 

 " The first collection of drawings I made were from 

 European specimens, procured by my father or myself, 

 and I still have them in my possession. They were all rep- 

 resented strictly omitliologically, which means neither more 

 nor less than in stiff, unmeaning profiles, such as are found 

 in most works published to the present day. My next set 

 was begun in America, and there, without my honored 

 mentor, I betook myself to the drawing of specimens hung 

 by a string tied to one foot, having a desire to show every 

 portion, as the wings lay loosely spread, as well as the tail. 

 In this manner I made some pretty fair signs for poulterers. 

 " One day, while watching the habits of a pair of pe- 

 wees at Mill Grove I looked so intently at their graceful 

 attitudes that a thought struck my mind like a flash of 

 light, that nothing, after all, could ever answer my enthusi- 

 astic desires to represent nature except to copy her in her 

 own way, alive and moving! Then I began again. On I 

 went, forming, literally, hundreds of outlines of my favor- 

 ites, the pewees; how good or bad I can not tell, but I 



