I02 ALEXANDER WILSON : POET-NATURAUST 



everything there; but never received one act of 

 courtesy from those to whom I was recommended, 

 one subscriber, nor one new bird; though I de- 

 Hvered my letters, ransacked the woods repeatedly, 

 and visited all the characters likely to subscribe." 



The words of the two men are in part contradic- 

 tory. Which are we to believe? Robert Bu- 

 chanan, who was commissioned by Mrs. Audubon 

 to write her husband's life, says, "We must take 

 Audubon's account cum grano solis." On the 

 other hand, the poet-naturalist, John Burroughs,* 

 takes Audubon's side in the matter. "Wilson," he 

 writes, "was of a nature far less open and generous 

 than was Audubon. It is evident that he looked 

 upon the latter as his rival and was jealous of his 

 superior talents ; for superior they were in many 

 ways." We doubt if Mr. Burroughs would hold 

 to the charge he has made here against Wilson, on 

 more careful consideration. In case after case Mr. 

 Burroughs himself cautions his readers that certain 

 statements of Audubon's must, to use Buchanan's 

 expression, be taken "cum grano salis." In speak- 

 ing of one story he even suggests that it is made 

 "out of the whole cloth" by Audubon and never oc- 

 curred at all. If this be the case, why should we ac- 

 cept Audubon's word in preference to Wilson's, 

 with whom accuracy and honesty were notable char- 

 acteristics? Mr. Burroughs also bears witness that 

 Wilson was Audubon's "equal, if not his superior" 

 in accuracy of observation. 



It is to be remembered, too, that Wilson's diary 

 was written at the time and sent in a letter to a 



* John James Audubon by John Burroughs. 



