32 Life of Auduhon. 



none. He then bade me good-morning, not, however, 

 until I had made an arrangement to explore the woods 

 in the vicinity along with him, and had promised to 

 procure for him some birds, of which I had drawings in 

 my collection, but which he had never seen. It happened 

 that he lodged in the same house with us, but his retired 

 habits, I thought, exhibited either a strong feeling of 

 discontent or a decided melancholy. The Scotch airs 

 which he played sweetly on his flute made me melancholy 

 .00, and I felt for him. I presented him to my wife and 

 friends, and seeing that he was all enthusiasm, exerted 

 myself as much as was in my power to procure for him 

 the specimens which he wanted. We hunted together, 

 and obtained birds which he had never before seen ; but, 

 reader, I did not subscribe to his work, for, even at that 

 time, my collection was greater than his. Thinking that 

 perhaps he might be pleased to publish the results of my 

 researches, I offered them to him, merely on condition 

 that what I had drawn, or might afterwards draw and send 

 to him, should be mentioned in his work as coming from 

 my pencil. I at the same time offered to open a corres- 

 pondence with him, which I thought might prove beneficial 

 to us both. He made no reply to either proposal, and 

 before many days had elapsed, left Louisville, on his way 

 to New Orleans, little knowing how much his talents were 

 appreciated in our little town^ at least by myself and my 

 friends. 



" Some time elapsed, during which I never heard of 

 him, or his work. At length, having occasion to go to 

 Philadelphia, I, immediately after my arrival there, 

 inquired for him, and paid him a visit. He was then 

 drawing a white-headed eagle. He received me with 

 civility, and took me to the exhibition rooms of Rem- 

 brandt Peale, the artist, who had then portrayed Napoleon 

 crossing the Alps. Mr. Wilson spoke not of birds 01 



