AUDUBON'S FAMILY IN AMERICA 305 



ing exhibits in the New World. The collection appears 

 to be nearly complete, although some notable pieces, such 

 as the Wild Turkeys, are lacking, but there are other 

 drawings, and some of early date, which were never re- 

 produced; all are inclosed in the original portfolios, 

 scarred by hard knocks and the tooth of time, massive, 

 leather-bound containers, which two strong arms would 

 raise with difficulty from the ground. Most of these 

 originals are mounted on a gray backing, with plate 

 margins in each case indicated by ink lines. As was no- 

 ticed in an earlier chapter, many original legends and 

 notes written by Audubon's pencil or pen still remain 

 on the drawings, though many have been trimmed off 

 or erased; these include names of localities and dates, 

 and directions to the engraver for changes in the back- 

 ground and composition or for any improvement of 

 the whole or a part. 



As a further illustration of the care which Audubon 

 exercised over the minute details of his great undertak- 

 ing, we will reproduce the penciled orders on the draw- 

 ing of the Great White Heron (Plate cclxxxi), which 

 shows an adult male performing the gymnastic feat of 

 seizing a large striped fish, a view of Key West forming 

 the background: "Keep closely to the sky in depth & 

 colouring! have the water a Pea-green tint. Keep the 

 division of the scales on the leg in fact white in your 

 engraving The colouring over these will subdue them 

 enough ! finish the houses better from the original which 

 you have; have the upper back portion very mellowing 

 in the outline." Again, on the drawing of the Great 

 Cinereous Owl (Plate cccli), we read: "Raise the bird 

 about 4 inches on the copper higher than in the Draw- 

 ing, and put in a landscape below of Wild Mountains," 

 a direction which in this instance was not followed, for 



