26 The Life and Writings of 



had first drawn my attention. The ladies were a little surprised, 

 but I checked their critical glances for the moment. The naturalist 

 pulled off his shoes, and while engaged in drawing his stockings, 

 not up, but down, in order to cover the holes about the heels, told 

 us in the gayest mood imaginable that he had walked a great dis 

 tance, and had only taken a passage on board the ark, to be put on 

 this shore, and that he was sorry his apparel had suffered so much 

 from his late journey. Clean clothes were offered but he would not 

 accept them, and it was with evident reluctance that he performed 

 the lavations usual on such occasions before he sat down to dinner. 



&quot; He chanced to turn over the drawing of a plant quite new to 

 him. After inspecting it closely, he shook his head, and told me no 

 such plant existed in nature: for M. de T. although a highly 

 scientific man, was suspicious to a fault, and believed such plants 

 only to exist as he had himself seen, or such as, having been dis 

 covered of old, had, according to Father Malebranche s expression, 

 acquired a venerable beard. I told my guest that the plant was 

 common in the immediate neighborhood, and that I would show it 

 to him on the morrow. And why to-morrow, Mr. Audubon? L,et 

 us go now. We did so ; and on reaching the river I pointed to the 

 plant. I thought M. de T. had gone mad. He plucked the plants 

 one after another, danced, hugged me to his arms, and exultingly 

 told me that he had got, Not merely a new species, but a new 

 genus. 



&quot; When it waxed late, I showed him to the apartment intended 

 for him during his stay, and endeavored to render him comfortable, 

 leaving him writing materials in abundance. I was, indeed, heartily 

 glad to have a naturalist under my roof. We had all retired to rest. 

 Every person I imagined was in deep slumber, save myself, when 

 of a sudden I heard a great uproar in the naturalist s room. I got 

 up, reached the place in a few moments, and opened the door, when, 

 to my astonishment, I saw my guest running about the room naked, 

 holding the handle of my favorite violin, the body of which he had 



