CHAPTER XIX 



AUDUBON AND RAFINESQUE 



The "Eccentric Naturalist" at Henderson Bats and new species The 

 demolished violin "M. de T.": Constantine Samuel Rafinesque 

 (Schmaltz) His precocity, linguistic acquirements and peripatetic 

 habits First visit to America and botanical studies Residence in 

 Sicily, and fortune made in the drug trade Association with Swain- 

 son Marriage and embitterment His second journey to America ends 

 in shipwreck Befriended Descends the Ohio in a flatboat Visit with 

 Audubon, who gives him many strange "new species" Cost to 

 zoology His unique work on Ohio fishes Professorship in Transylvania 

 University Quarrel with its president and trustees Return to Phila- 

 delphia His ardent love of nature; his writings and fatal versatility 

 His singular will His sad end and the ruthless disposition of his 

 estate. 



Audubon's humorous sketch of "The Eccentric 

 Naturalist" has often been quoted, and it presents a 

 picture which is amusing, however short of the truth 

 it may fall or however it may fail in doing justice to 

 its subject. Though his real hero is not named, no 

 doubt as to his identity has ever been entertained. This 

 episode occurred at Henderson in the late summer of 

 1818, and was published thirteen years after in the 

 Biography of birds. 1 Since the story was not fully told 

 then and the after-effects w r ere productive of much harsh 

 criticism, it cannot be overlooked if we would do justice 

 to both the writer and his subject. 



When walking one day by the river, to follow Audu- 

 bon's story, he saw a man landing from a boat with 

 what appeared like a bundle of dried clover on his back ; 



14 'The Eccentric Naturalist," Ornithological Biography (Bibl. No. 2), 

 vol. i, p. 455. 



285 



