380 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



the British Museum and secretary of the Royal Society. 

 Children assumed the management of Audubon's work 

 when he returned to America in 1829 and again in 

 1831 ; to him and Lord Stanley, in 1830, the naturalist 

 probably owed his nomination to membership in the 

 Royal Society. 



Soon after reaching London Audubon paid his re- 

 spects to Sir Thomas Lawrence, for whom he had two 

 letters, and made an appointment for showing his work 

 to this famous artist. He was also gratified to receive 

 the subscription of Lord Stanley and of Charles Lucien 

 Bonaparte, who was then in London. 



Audubon had not been in London a month before 

 word was received from Lizars that all his colorers had 

 struck work and that everything was at a stand. Ac- 

 cordingly, he began to search London for skilled work- 

 men, and on June 18 wrote: "I went five times to see 

 Mr. Havell, the colorer, but he was out of town. I am 

 full of anxiety and greatly depressed. Oh! how sick 

 I am of London!" Three days later another discour- 

 aging letter came from Lizars, who shortly after threw 

 up his contract and left his patron in a sad predica- 

 ment with an enormously expensive work, still-born, 

 on his hands, without adequate funds, and, in short, 

 with all his cherished plans suspended in mid-air. Audu- 

 bon no doubt realized that if his grand undertaking 

 were to succeed at all, it must experience a new birth 

 in London, where an expert engraver of the requisite 

 enterprise and zeal must be found without delay. He 

 closed his journal on the second day of July with the 



was succeeded by J. E. Gray (see Vol. I, p. 353). Children was not a pro- 

 ductive zoologist, but has been described as a lovable soul, who was never 

 soured by illness or other misfortunes, and who was as zealous in his friend- 

 ships as in science. See "A. A." (Anna Atkins), Memoir of J. O. Children, 

 Esq. (Bibl. No. 175). 



