JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 93 

 of the time in Edinburgh, and part of 

 the time in London, with two or three 

 months passed in France, where there 

 were fourteen subscribers. While ab- 

 sent in America, he had been elected a 

 fellow of the Eoyal Society of London, 

 and on May 6 took his seat in the great 

 hall. 



He needed some competent person 

 to assist him in getting his manuscript 

 ready for publication and was so fortu- 

 nate as to obtain the services of Mac- 

 Gillivray, the biographer of British 

 Birds. 



Audubon had learned that three edi- 

 tions of Wilson's " Ornithology ' > were 

 soon to be published in Edinburgh, and 

 he set to work vigorously to get his book 

 out before them. Assisted by MacGil- 

 livray, he worked hard at his biography 

 of the birds, writing all day, and Mrs. 

 Audubon making a copy of the work to 

 send to America to secure copyright 

 there. Writing to her sons at this time, 



