132 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 

 of an American panther. The antlers 

 of elks hung upon the waDs ; stuffed 

 birds of every description of gay plu- 

 mage ornamented the mantel-piece ; and 

 exquisite drawings of field mice, orioles, 

 and woodpeckers, were scattered promis- 

 cuously in other parts of the room, across 

 one end of which a long, rude table was 

 stretched to hold artist materials, scraps 

 of drawing paper, and immense folio 

 volumes, filled with delicious paintings 

 of birds taken in their native haunts. 



"'This,' said I to myself, 'is the 

 studio of the naturalist, ' but hardly 

 had the thought escaped me when- the 

 master himself made his appearance. 

 He was a tall thin man, with a high- 

 arched and serene forehead, and a 

 bright penetrating grey eye ; his white 

 locks fell in clusters upon his shoulders, 

 but were the only signs of age, for his 

 form was erect, and his step as light as 

 that of a deer. The expression of his 

 face was sharp, but noble and com- 



