PEEFACE xi 



They loved Nature at first hand, and not 

 merely as she appears in books and pictures. 

 They both kept extensive journals of their 

 wanderings and observations. Several of 

 Audubon's (recording his European experi- 

 ences') seem to have been lost or destroyed, 

 but what remain make up the greater part 

 of two large volumes recently edited by his 

 grand-daughter, Maria E. Audubon. 



I wish here to express my gratitude both 

 to Miss Audubon, and to Messrs. Charles 

 Scribner's Sons, for permitting me to draw 

 freely from the "Life and Journals" just 

 mentioned. The temptation is strong to let 

 Audubon's graphic and glowing descriptions 

 of American scenery, and of his tireless 

 wanderings, speak for themselves. 



It is from these volumes, and from the 

 life by his widow, published in 1868, that I 

 have gathered the material for this brief 



Audubon's life naturally divides itself 

 into three periods : his youth, which was on 

 the whole a gay and happy one, and which 



