46 IN THE DAYS OP AUDUBON 



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 naked, hold- 

 ing the handle of my favorite violin, the body of which 

 he had battered to pieces against the walls in attempting 

 to kill the bats which had entered by the open window, 

 probably attracted by the insects flying around his candle. 

 I stood amazed, and he continued jumping and running 

 round and round until he was fairly exhausted, when he 

 begged me to procure one of the animals for him, as he 

 felt convinced they belonged to a ' new species.' Although 

 I was convinced of the contrary, I took up the bow of my 

 demolished Cremona, and administering a smart tap to each 

 of the bats as it came up, soon got specimens enough. The 

 war ended, I again bade him good night, but could not help 

 observing the state of the room. It was strewed with 

 plants, which had been previously arranged with care." 



Audubon also describes his visit with the herbman to 

 a cane-brake: 



' The cane-brake is composed of a dense growth of 

 canes, measuring twenty or thirty feet in height, and 

 packed so closely that a man's body requires to be forced 

 between the shafts of the canes. An undergrowth of 

 plants and trailing climbers further prevents progression, 

 which has to be accelerated by pushing the back between 



