THE AUK: 



A Q^UARTERLY JOURNAL OF 



ORNITHOLOGY. 

 VOL. III. October, 1886. No. 4. 



ON AN OLD PORTRAIT OF AUDUBON, PAINTED 



BY HIMSELF, AND A WORD ABOUT SOME 



OF HIS EARLY DRAWINGS. 



BY R. W. SHUFELDT. 



Sometime during the latter part of May, 18S5, I was the re- 

 cipient of a very valuable gift from an esteemed lady of Wood- 

 stock, Louisiana, Mrs. E. C. Walker. This was nothing less 

 than three of Audubon's early original boy-drawings of birds, 

 and I came into possession of them through the kind intercession 

 of Mrs. Walker's daughter, Mrs. Jamar, wife of Lieutenant Jamar 

 of the 13th U. S. Infantry, then stationed at Fort Wingate, New 

 Mexico. 



It will be remembered by those conversant with the life of 

 Audubon, that sometime during his youth he spent a year or 

 more with his parents at Nantes, France. His wife tells us in 

 his biography, that while at Nantes, this famous young devotee 

 of nature made a hundred drawings of European birds. These 

 were brought back by him in his portfolio on his return to Amer- 

 ica, and it proves to be that it is three of these juvenile efforts 

 that I now have in my possession. Rare old treasures they are 

 to be sure, and would that I could commit to paper the quickly- 

 passing thoughts they inspire in my mind, as I hold them up one 

 at a time before me ! Thev cause us to wonder whether Audubon 



