Burns — On Alexander Wilson. 15 



go to Philadelphia, 1 immediately after my arrival there, in- 

 quired for him and paid him a visit. He was then drawing 

 a White-headed Eagle. He received me with civility, and 

 took me to the exhibition rooms of Rembrant Peale, the artist, 

 who had there portrayed Napoleon crossing the Alps. Mr. 

 Wilson spoke not of birds nor drawings. Feeling, as I was 

 forced to do, that my company was not agreeable, I parted 

 from' him ; and after that never saw him again.'' ^ At this 

 time the splendid genius of the Painter-Ornithologist was un- 

 known tO' the world, but his views had broadened. He no 

 longer wished to monopolize all admiration, but had become 

 interested in the work of others. He found that the humble 

 petitioner had surmounted all difficulties encountered and was 

 now reaping the first fruits of his industry. 



His final success seemed assured. In Mr. Audubon he 

 recognized the gentleman companion and guide of one or 

 two little tramps about Louisville, a service any loiterer 

 about the settlement might have performed acceptably. In 

 acting as his guide to the Peale art gallery, Wilson thought 

 tO' return his kindness, and no doubt anticipated the pleasure 

 he was giving an accomplished artist and patriotic French- 

 man. That Audubon would expect more was inconceivable ! 

 He had taken little interest in his drawings previously, and 

 Audubon would be under the necessity of reopening the sub- 

 ject or leave it untouched. 



We may sometimes distrust the evidence of a too positive 

 man. Audubon could hardly be absolutely certain that 

 Wilson used his drawing unless he was conscious of 

 the fictitiousness of the subject himself, and the conse- 

 quent utter impossibility of duplicating it by any means 

 whatever ; in this event he would himself be guilty of 

 creating and perpetuating a gross fraud — a condition so utter- 

 ly improbable as to pass as almost beyond a possibility, 

 though, indeed, not absolutely so, if hearsay evidence may 

 be credited. Anyone familiar with the journals of Audubon 

 will recall his description of that "odd fish" the eccentric 

 Rafinesque (Schmaltz). The following came from Dr. Kirk- 



^ Ornithological Biography. 



