l6o SCIENCE SKETCPIES. 



Lexington the degree of Master of Arts, he says, 

 " because I had not studied Greek in a college, 

 although I knew more languages than all the 

 American colleges united. But it was granted at 

 last; but that of Doctor of Medicine was not 

 granted, because I would not superintend ana- 

 tomical dissections." He continues : 



" Mr. Holley, the president of the university, despised 

 and hated the natural sciences, and he wished to drive 

 me out altogether. To evince his hatred against science 

 and its discoveries, he had broken open my rooms in my 

 absence, given one to the students, and thrown all my 

 effects, books, and collections into the other. He had 

 deprived me of my situation as librarian, and tried to turn 

 me out of the college. I took lodgings in town, and car- 

 ried there all my effects, leaving the college with curses 

 both on it and Holley, which reached them both soon 

 after ; for Holley died of the yellow fever in New Orleans 

 and the college was burned with all its contents." 



In one of his summer trips Rafinesque became 

 acquainted with Audubon, who was then painting 

 birds and keeping a little " grocery-store " down 

 the river, at Henderson, Kentucky. Rafinesque 

 reached Henderson in a boat, carrying on his back 

 a bundle of plants which resembled dried clover. 

 He accidentally met Audubon, and asked him to 

 tell him where the naturalist lived. The ornithol- 

 ogist introduced himself, and Rafinesque handed 

 him a letter from a friend in the East, commending 

 him to Audubon as an " odd fish, which might not 

 be described in the published treatises." The story 

 of the interview is thus described by Audubon: 



