AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 89 



vagabondize ; he must acquire ; he was never quite busy 

 at the hearth. His love for Nature was passionate in- 

 deed, pursuing in all regions, burning in him to the last. 

 He was boy-like to the end, glorying most when out of 

 doors." (Preface to London edition of his works.) 



The works of Audubon are pronounced by Baron 

 Cuvier to be *'the most splendid monument which art 

 has erected in honor of ornithology." 



Christopher North says, "He was the greatest genius, 

 in his own walk, that ever lived." 



Probably no other undertaking of Audubon 's life illus- 

 trates the indomitable character of the man more fully 

 than the work preliminary to the publication of his great 

 work "The Birds of America." He was in a strange 

 country, England, having gone there with his drawings 

 from America. He had no friends save those he had 

 made in a few months and no money, and yet he entered 

 confidently on this undertaking which was to cost over 

 one hmidred thousand dollars, and mtli no pledge of 

 help, but on the other hand discouragement on all sides, 

 and from his best friends, of the hopelessness of such an 

 enterprise. 



Audubon was honored in England and Scotland by Sir 

 Walter Scott, Landseer, the Eoyal Society and many 

 famous statesmen. Likewise in France by Baron Cuvier, 

 Prince Bonaparte, the Royal Academy and many other 

 notables. 



