JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 43 

 In 1819 lie was offered the position of 

 taxidermist in the museum at Cincinnati, 

 and soon moved there with his family. 

 His pay not being forthcoming from the 

 museum, he started a drawing school 

 there, and again returned to his por- 

 traits. Without these resources, he 

 says, he would have been upon the 

 starving list. But food was plentiful 

 and cheap. He writes in his journal : 

 "Our living here is extremely moder- 

 ate ; the markets are well supplied and 

 cheap, beef only two and one half cents 

 a pound, and I am able to supply a good 

 deal myself. Partridges are frequently 

 in the streets, and I can shoot wild tur- 

 keys within a mile or so. Squirrels and 

 Woodcock are very abundant in the 

 season, and fish always easily caught. " 

 In October, 1820, we again find him 

 adrift, apparently with thought of hav- 

 ing his bird drawings published, after he 

 shall have further added to them by 

 going through many of the southern 

 and western states. 



