EPISODES 523 



to his serious words would have been highly ungrateful. 

 I listened less to others, more to him, and his words 

 became my law. 



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 

 represented strictly ornitJiologically, 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 Pewees 

 at Mill Grove, I looked so intently at their graceful atti- 

 tudes that a thought struck my mind like a flash of light, 

 that nothing, after all, could ever answer my enthusiastic 

 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 cannot tell, but I 

 fancied I had mounted a step on the high pinnacle before 

 me. I continued for months together, simply outlining 

 birds as I observed them, either alighted or on the wing, 

 but could finish none of my sketches. I procured many 

 individuals of different species, and laying them on the 

 table or on the ground, tried to place them in such atti- 

 tudes as I had sketched. But, alas ! they were dead, to 

 all intents and purposes, and neither wing, leg, nor tail 

 could I place according to my wishes. A second thought 

 came to my assistance; by means of threads I raised or 

 lowered a head, wing, or tail, and by fastening the threads 



1 This was in 1838 ; they have since been destroyed by fire, or, at least, 

 the greater number. 



