JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 23 

 with stuffed squirrels, raccoons and opos- 

 sums 5 and the shelves around were like- 

 wise crowded with specimens, among 

 which were fishes, frogs, snakes, lizards, 

 and other reptiles. Besides these stuffed 

 varieties, many paintings were arrayed 

 upon the walls, chiefly of birds. He had 

 great skill in stuffing and preserving 

 animals of all sorts. He had also a trick 

 of training dogs with great perfection, 

 of which art his famous dog Zephyr was 

 a wonderful example. He was an ad- 

 mirable marksman, an expert swimmer, 

 a clever rider, possessed great activity, 

 prodigious strength, and was notable for 

 the elegance of his figure, and the beauty 

 of his features, and he aided Nature by 

 a careful attendance to his dress. Besides 

 other accomplishments, he was musical, 

 a good fencer, danced well, had some 

 acquaintance with legerdemain tricks, 

 worked in hair, and could plait willow 

 baskets.' 7 He adds that Audubon once 

 swam across the Schuylkill with him 

 011 his back. 



