RUDE REPRESENTATIONS OF NATURE. 43 



eyes, either open at birth or closed for some time 

 after, to trace the slow progress of the young birds 

 toward perfection, or admire the celerity with 

 which some of them, while yet unfledged, removed 

 themselves from danger to security." 



As he grew up these predilections became yet 

 stronger, and he early commenced a collection of 

 drawings, which at first were but the rude attempts 

 of an unpractised hand. He thus amusingly char- 

 acterises them : " My pencil gave birth to a family 

 of cripples. So maimed were most of them, that 

 they resembled the mangled corpses on a field of 

 battle compared with the integrity of living men. 

 These difficulties and disappointments irritated me, 

 but never for a moment destroyed the desire of ob- 

 taining perfect representations of nature. The 

 worse my drawings were, the more beautiful did I 

 see the originals. To have been torn from the study 

 would have been as death to me. My time was 

 entirely occupied with it. I produced hundreds of 

 these rude sketches annually, and for a long time, 

 at my request, they made bonfires on the anniver- 

 saries of my birthday." 



Anxious to cultivate a talent which had so strik- 

 ingly evinced itself, the friends of young Audubon 

 procured him the best instruction, and he was early 

 sent to France, where, under the guidance of the 

 celebrated David, he became a skilful draughtsman. 



