220 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



smaller species for me, and thereby assist me considerably. 

 Please write to me again soon, as I must resume my travels in 

 8 or 10 days. Have you seen a copy of the small edition of 

 The Birds of America which I am now publishing? Believe 

 me, dear sir, 



With good wishes, your obt. sert., 



JOHN J. AUDUBON 



Thus began a correspondence between the youth of 

 fifteen and the veteran of fifty-five, which led to an 

 intimate friendship that lasted during Audubon's active 

 career, and was an undoubted stimulus to young Baird, 

 whose talents, enthusiasm and industry were quickly ap- 

 preciated by the older naturalist. Baird answered Au- 

 dubon's letter on June 20, and proffered his services 

 in collecting mammals, saying that while they were more 

 difficult to find than birds, he hoped "by increased exer- 

 tion to make up the difference"; he also added: "I have 

 seen some numbers of your work now publishing, and 

 admire them very much. I have no doubt that it will do 

 more to spread a love of Natural history, than any work 

 ever published. For my part I read the description of 

 birds and the episodes in your Ornithological Biography 

 with the same motive of pleasure as I used to read a 

 favorite novel." In Audubon's immediate reply of the 

 22nd, he said : 



It is impossible at present for me to give you any precise 

 idea of the work on our quadrupeds which I have in con- 

 templation to publish, any further than to say to you, that it 

 is my intention, as well as that of my friend, the Rev d John 

 Bachman, of Charleston, S. C., assisted by several others of 

 our best naturalists, to issue a work on the Mammalia of North 

 America worthy of the naturalist's attention, both at home and 

 abroad. Through our joint efforts, and assisted as we hope 

 and trust to be, by numerous friends and acquaintances in 



