1908 1 Deane, Audubon's Copper-plates of ' Birds of America.' 403 



were subsequently submitted to a treatment which removed all 

 oxidation and then taken to the main office of the company, and, 

 to the best of my recollection, distributed as follows: Mr. Wm. E. 

 Dodge, president of the company, had a few plates sent to the 

 American Museum of Natural History, New York City, and a few 

 plates to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C, and I 

 think he retained one or two for himself. The remainder of them, 

 with the exception of two, my father kept; and they have since 

 come into my possession by purchase from the estate. The two 

 plates just excepted were Nos. 22 and 82 and they particularly 

 struck my fancy, so much so that when the plates were first discov- 

 ered I managed to secure them on the quiet, cleaned them myself 

 and hid them; and when the plates were distributed no one knew 

 of the existence of these two and they later became my property. 



"I have sent two plates to Miss M. R. Audubon; and there are 

 two others that I think I could locate. This will make nine plates 

 that I know of, besides the plates in the museums previously men- 

 tioned and those that may be in the possession of the heirs of Mr. 

 Wm. E. Dodge. 



"Some of the plates in my possession are in- very much better con- 

 dition than the rest of them; and I have no doubt but what good 

 imprints could be obtained if it was thought desirable to use them 

 for that purpose." 



A number of the plates were unquestionably sold from New York 

 before they were shipped to Ansonia, as Mr. John H. Sage, Portland, 

 Conn., informs me that two in his possession were presented to him 

 in 1893 by Mr. Thomas R. Pickering, president of the Pickering 

 Governor Company of Portland, who purchased them with others, 

 some years before that date, for old metal in a junk shop in New 

 York City. All of these plates were scratched and bent, but he put 

 those presented to Mr. Sage and two others to the Wesleyan Uni- 

 versity, Middletown, Conn., in as good condition as possible. Such 

 as were utterly ruined, were melted up in the works. 



In the 'Forest and Stream' of September 12, 1896, is the following 

 note on the copper-plates. 



