Vol i{KJ6 nI ] Deane, Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. 323 



experiment for himself. The weather has been very warm for the 

 last ten days and I am in expectation every day of seeing the robins, 

 blue birds, & other early spring visitors. I was out in the country 

 last Friday, and almost every step I took "off" a turtle tumbled 

 from a log, or a frog jumped into the water, while I was almost 

 eaten up by the gnats. The blue wing teal passed me but not 

 withstanding all my efforts, obstinately refused to give my dog a 

 chance of showing his skill in bringing birds out of water. How- 

 ever I know where they stay & will try & kill them before long. 



For want of other objects I have commenced to draw the sternal 

 and shoulder apparatus of our birds, a pretty large collection of 

 which I have been making for a year past. As soon as I can do 

 them pretty well I will send you on a specimen. I find that in 

 many cases I can distinguish species of the same genus from each 

 other, and always genera. I have no doubt that some doubtful or 

 difficult species may be identified by the differences in the shape 

 of the Sternum, & Clavicle. Have you heard from Mr. Lyon of 

 Bedford yet about the money he owes you? I was asking about 

 him the other day, of an acquaintance of his, who told me that he 

 was as good as gold in all his debts, & expressed some surprise at 

 his not having paid, as he generaly is very punctual. Last week I 

 walked up to Pinegrove an iron works about sixteen miles in the 

 mountains where resides the Mr. Ege 1 1 have so often spoken about 

 as the mighty Nimrod of our county. On my arrival I found a 

 fine wild cat hanging in the stable which had been killed a few days 

 before. On returning the next day I took the cat with me slung 

 across my shoulders, and on reaching home after measuring & 

 weighing it skinned it. I am in hopes of getting some more from 

 there, as they promised to catch all they could for me. It was 

 considered a pretty large one though some considerably larger had 

 been killed. It is twice the size of the one I killed myself a year 

 ago. Shall I send them on now or wait for some more to add to 

 them. The ears were very much tufted, the tufts being an inch 

 long. I gathered much respecting the habits of this animal which 

 I will send you hereafter. The skin is as large as those you showed 

 me in the box under your drawingtable, but it is somewhat stretched. 



1 Peter Ege, at that time proprietor of the Iron Works at Pinegrove, Pa., and a 

 local hunter of renown. 



