326 Deane, Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. [juiy 



States, than has ever been before told. Do send me all you 

 know of the habits, habitats, etc. of said Wild Cats, and any 

 other animals. The tufts of the ears of your specimen must 

 surely prove to be an exception to the Rule, as mine, which is a 

 very fine one, had these ornaments only half the length of those 

 of the one you have procured. The measurments of mine are as 

 follows: from nose to end of scull following the facial curvatures 

 of the head, six inches, Ditto, to end of ear, 8 inches. Ditto to root 

 of tail 30 inches, tail (vertebrae) 5 inches. Ditto to end of hairs 

 5^ inches. Fore foot stretching leg and nose, 7 inches, hind foot 

 do., leg and tip of tail 1\ inches. Hind feet webbed within f inch 

 of the claws; Tufts on the ear \ inch long, breadth of ear If inch, 

 anterior heighth of ear If; length of neck, 4 inches. Weight 17 

 lbs. avoirdupois, very fat. From root to root of ears taken 

 laterally 3 inches; from tip to tip of ears, laterally, 1\ inches, 

 breadth of head at anterior part of ears, 4 in. "The spot" on the 

 posterior part of the ears is not "a spot," but represents a (undeci- 

 pherable) portion of almost \ of a globe. You cannot draw any 

 one subject without improving. All I have to recommend to you 

 is to work slowly, and constantly, that is, whenever you can! Since 

 you left us, I have drawn, or, perhaps, finished, the wild cat, the 

 Canada Lynx, two Arvicola Hispidus, 1 two Sorex Parvus 2 (a very 

 rare species hitherto unknown in the state of New York) one short 

 eared cat squirrel, (it may prove a different species from the one 

 with tufted ears) and a white hare, Lepus Americanus. I have 

 now in hand, alive, one fine Mustella Erminea, 3 two Arvicola penn- 

 sylvanica 4 and two Hispidae. Mr. Smith writes to me from 

 Houston (Texas) that he has two fine Peccaries, two Lynx, two 

 Cat Squirrels, two Bats etc. etc. etc. etc. But I will let you know 

 when I see these things. I have heard from Quebec from a Mr. 

 Martin 5 who is a great collector there, that he has "Black Hares," 



1 Sigmodon hispidus Say & Ord. 



2 Blarina parva (Say). 



• ' Putorius cicognanii Bonap. 



4 Microtus pennslyvanicus (Ord). 



5 John Martin, Jr., a chronometor and watchmaker, also a naturalist, who lived 

 in the lower town of Quebec. Sir James M. LeMoine writes me that when Audubon 

 visited Quebec in 1842, Martin invited the naturalist to stop under his roof during 

 his stay in the city, and when he took his departure presented him with a copy of 

 his 'Birds of America.' 



