JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. 169 



guished naturalist, but perished a few years after 

 his birth, in the insurrection of the colored people 

 of St. Domingo. The father, having purchased a 

 beautiful estate on the Loire, nine miles from 

 Nantes, married a second time, a woman who 

 proved a most indulgent mother to her husband's 

 children. Having none of her own, she humored 

 John in every way, and allowed him to gather 

 moss, curious stones, birds' nests, indeed, every- 

 thing which belongs to natural history, to his 

 heart's content. 



On the return of Commodore Audubon to France, 

 finding that the boy was following the bent of his 

 own mind, to the neglect of a solid education, in 

 spite of the tears and entreaties of his wife, he 

 sent him away to school. For a year John was 

 obliged to apply himself closely to mathematics, 

 taking a ramble to collect specimens whenever it 

 was possible. He studied drawing under the cele- 

 brated painter David, and learned to play well on 

 the violin, flute, flageolet, and guitar. 



His father had hoped that he would become a 

 soldier under Napoleon, but a lad who could lie 

 on his back under a tree for three weeks, and 

 watch with a telescope the habits of some little 

 gray birds of the color of the bark of the tree, 

 would not care much for the smoke and din of 

 battle. He was therefore sent to America, to look 

 after his father's property. 



With a heavy heart the youth said good-by 

 to France, where he had already sketched two 



