VOl i907" IV ] Deane > Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. 61 



Baird to Audubon. 



Carlisle Dec. 29, 1845. 

 My dearest Mr. Audubon 



It is with no ordinary feeling of pleasure that I received your 

 kind Christmas gift in the shape of a letter written on the 25th, 

 than which, few things in this world could have pleased me more. 

 I would have answered the preceeding one long before, had I not 

 been waiting for something to write in answer to your queries. As 

 to procuring a specimen of the Catamount and Black Fox in the 

 flesh, it is an exceedingly difficult matter. I however will do what 

 I can. Of course none are to be procured in this vicinity. I 

 however write today to Mr. Andrew Rose of Silver Lake Susque- 

 hanna Co. Pa., who is now at home, for the purpose of inducing 

 him to make every effort to procure one or both animals. He has 

 several times spoken to me of the black fox as being occasionally 

 captured in his vicinity and when he went up home a few weeks 

 ago, promised to get me one if possible. He, I have no doubt, will 

 make every effort to get it, as well as the other, if it really has a 

 veritable existence. My friend Charles Churchill son of Col. 

 Churchill wrote to a friend of his in Burlington, Vt. for a similar 

 purpose, whether one could be procured in the flesh and on what 

 terms, also to collect every information respecting the habits and 

 manners of the Fisher &c. You ask me how I have been employ- 

 ing my time. I have been occupied this winter principally in 

 studying modern languages, German, Spanish and Italian in which 

 I hope I made some progress. Besides this I draw a little every 

 day, principally sketches of boxes, tubs, boats, castles &c. not from 

 nature. My principal object is to be able to copy off some of the 

 beautiful landscapes which I am constantly , meeting with in my 

 walks. I visited a spot last summer about 18 miles from Carlisle, 

 whence a surface of about 1500 square miles of cultivated valley 

 was visible at one glance. 



A line of very near 100 miles could be traced in the length of the 

 valley. The rest of my time is occupied by mathematics general 

 reading & visiting a young lady. I have been for some time study- 

 ing out our little flycatchers, and have come pretty nearly to the 

 conclusion that my Tyranula minima is very like Swainson's T. 



