404 Deane, Amliiboti's Copper-jAates of ' Birds of Ayyierica.' 



PAuk 

 LOct. 



"Aiidvbon's Plates sold for Jiinh. 



Boston, Sept. 4, 1896. 



" Editor Forest and Stream : — I notice in your last issue you announce 

 you propose to publish for the benefit of 'Forest and Stream' readers 

 some of the Audubon pictures, and it reminds me that over twenty-five 

 years ago our house had sent them from New York six of the original copper 

 plates of Audubon's birds as sample of the lot, which were to be sold for 

 old metal. They were in very good condition, and by a very little retouch- 

 ing could have been used again. We thought it a shame to destroy them 

 and tried to get some of our Boston publishers to purchase them for 

 legitimate use, but failed in so doing. James R. Osgood ' almost was 

 persuaded, but we finally sent them back to New York, as we would not 

 consent to be instrumental in their final destruction. Whatever became 

 of them eventiially I never heard, or if I did have forgotten. 



"I remember one of the sample plates we had was the bald eagle, and 

 I managed to take a hand-rubbed copy from it. These plates were the 

 Elephant Edition. I think our correspondents in New York at the time, 

 of which there is one still living, might remember where they went to, for 

 the senior took the same views of our house and thought it vandalism 

 to destroy them: but as there were several tons in all, their value then for 

 old metal, copper being so high in price, amounted to a good sum. 



"Renignolds [E. R. Shattuck]." 



As a matter of record of the present resting place of such of these 

 plates as I have been able to locate, I append the following list. In 

 addition to these thirty-seven plates, INIr. Cowles has record of two 

 which he hopes to locate. 



1 James Ripley Osgood, publisher, born Feb. 22, 1836, died M&y 18, 1892. 



