332 Deane, Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. \ju\v 



Baird to Audubon. 



Carlisle, May 3d, 1842. 

 My dear Mr. Audubon 



I have been in some doubt as to where this letter should be 

 addressed, since "86 White St." 1 will not reach you, and you must 

 by this time be snugly fixed I hope in your beautiful place up the 

 River. Do not laugh therefore if I prefix "Formerly" to the old 

 superscription. We have had nothing new or interesting in any 

 department here lately, nothing having been plenty yet except 

 ducks. Of these last I have killed a great many; as many as 

 eight, ten, or twelve in a day, which you know are pretty large 

 numbers for such a locality. I have not been out yet without 

 killing at least two or three. Mallards, Black ducks, Baldpates, 

 Summer ducks, Sprig tail, Golden eyes, Gooseanders and Black 

 heads were the most abundant. The other species which occured 

 are Shovelers a few, Ring neck two or three flocks, South southerly 

 one, Buffel heads a number, Hooded Mergansers, eight or ten 

 pair, Green wing teal forty or fifty, and Blue wing Do. one flock 

 of more than forty, and several stragglers. No Ruddy ducks have 

 yet made their appearance as last spring. Of these which I have 

 shot, I * prepared the heads of forty or fifty for myself & Dr. 

 Morton, 2 and stuffed but two or three. I have drawn the Sternums 

 with the accompanying apparatus, viz. Scapula & Clavicle, of a 

 good many birds, especially the water birds. It is my intention 

 to prepare three of all our birds. I have drawn the sculls of 

 several of our birds, five or six ducks, Loon etc. Also some 

 Quadrupeds as Florida Neoioma, Chickaree squirrel, common 

 Rabbit, Mink and Muskrat. I think them to be the best studies in 

 drawing I could have. 



Quadrupeds are very scarce now, from what cause I know not, 

 I have not seen more than two or three bats, and very few glirine 

 animals. I have been able to procure only a few Arvicola as yet, 



1 Where Audubon and his family resided, after returning from his last visit to 

 England, in the autumn of 1839. until his removal to " Minniesland " in the spring 

 of 1842. 



2 Dr. Samuel George Morton, a once prominent physician and President of the 

 Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, born Jan. 26, 1799, died May 15, 1851. 



