246 Deane, Letters of MacGillivray to Audubon. \^^ 



will not be extremely inconvenient, as you say you must be in 

 Manchester. I really wish that I could go to London, and so 

 save you the trouble of coming down, and give myself the pleasure 

 of a little relaxation from my labors ; but I have no prospect of 

 being able to do so as I have said, till December. On the other 

 hand it would be expedient that you should determine as to the 

 mode of printing, because I think the technical description of the 

 birds might be rendered more readable were you to reprint the 

 first volume — that is less formal and as to the Biography — I 

 mean your own — if you honor me with the revisal of it, it would 

 be well that we should converse on the subject. I will endeavor 

 to see Mr. Kidd in a day or two. 

 I have the honor to be, dear Sir, 



Your obedient servant 



Wm. MacGillivray 



No. 6. 



Edinburgh 1 1 Gilmore Place 

 Tuesday, July 1836 

 My dear Friend 



Your letter, which I received on Saturday evening, afforded 

 me very great pleasure. I have been thinking of you ever since, 

 but have scarcely had time to write until this moment, when I 

 have just arrived from Leith, where I have been delivering a 

 Botanical lecture. I have two lectures there weekly, one at the 

 Young Ladies' Institution, and an excursion on Saturday from 

 twelve till eight. The composition of these lectures, and the 

 drawings necessary for illustrating them, occupy nearly the 

 whole of my time at present, but they will all be over before the 

 end of the month. I have done very little otherwise since I saw 

 you, although I have been generally, in very good health. 

 Craigie's death had a strong effect upon me, and I believe my 

 views of life and its occupations have been a good deal changed 

 by it. It was upon him especially that I had set my hopes. 

 However I am reconciled to my condition. The girls have ever 

 since been particularly anxious to do what they could to assist or 

 please me. My drawings of birds have been stationary for some 



