38 MEMOIR OF 



tions, I see new beauties in every bird, plant, or 

 flower, I contemplate ; and find my ideas of the in- 

 comprehensible First Cause still more exalted, the 

 more minutely I examine His works. 



" I sometimes smile to think, that while others 

 are immersed in deep schemes of speculation and 

 aggrandizement, in building towns and purchasing 

 plantations, I am entranced in contemplation over 

 the plumage of a Lark, or gazing, like a despairing 

 lover, on the lineaments of an Owl. While others 

 are hoarding up their bags of money, without the 

 power of enjoying it, I am collecting, without in- 

 juring my conscience, or wounding my peace of 

 mind, those beautiful specimens of Nature's works 

 that are for ever pleasing. I have had live Crows, 

 Hawks, and Owls ; opossums, squirrels, snakes, 

 lizards, &c. so that my room has sometimes re- 

 minded me of Noah's ark ; but Noah had a wife in 

 one corner of it, and, in this particular, our parallel 

 does not altogether tally. I receive every subject 

 of natural history that is brought to me; and, 

 though they do not march into my ark from all 

 quarters, as they did into that of our great ancestor, 

 yet I find means, by the distribution of a few five- 

 penny bits, to make them find the way fast enough. 

 A boy, not long ago, brought me a large basketful 

 of Crows. I expect his next load will be bull frogs, 

 if I dont soon issue orders to the contrary. One of 

 my boys caught a mouse in school, a few days ago, 

 and directly marched up to me with his prisoner. 

 I set about drawing it that same evening ; and all 



