204 AUDUBON 



the best of all ways to spend an evening for delassement. 

 I often find myself when there laughing or crying like a 

 child. 



January 11. Scarce daylight at half-past seven, but I 

 was up and away with a coal porter and his cart into the 

 country. I wanted some large, rough stones for my fore- 

 ground ; this was my reason for my excursion. I passed a 

 small, dirty, and almost lost building, where the union be- 

 tween Scotland and England was ratified. At one o'clock 

 Professor Russell called in his carriage with Mr. Lizars, then 

 we went to see a picture of the famous Hondekoeter. To 

 me the picture was destitute of life ; the animals seemed 

 to me to be drawn from poorly stuffed specimens, but the 

 coloring, the finish, the manner, the effect, was most beau- 

 tiful, and but for the lack of Nature in the animals was 

 a picture which commanded admiration and attention. 

 Would that I could paint like Hondekoeter ! At eight 

 I went to the Phrenological Society, and may safely say 

 that never before was I in such company ; the deepest 

 philosophers in this city of learning were there, and 

 George Combe read an essay on the mental powers of 

 man, as illustrated by phrenological researches, that as- 

 tounded me ; it lasted one and a half hours, and will re- 

 main in my mind all my life. 



January 12. My painting has now arrived at the diffi- 

 cult point. To finish highly without destroying the gen- 

 eral effect, or to give the general effect and care not about 

 the finishing? I am quite puzzled. Sometimes I like the 

 picture, then a heat rises to my face and I think it a mis- 

 erable daub. This is the largest piece I have ever done ; 

 as to the birds, as far as they are concerned I am quite sat- 

 isfied, but the ground, the foliage, the sky, the distance are 

 dreadful. To-day I was so troubled about this that at two 

 o'clock, when yet a good hour of daylight remained, I left 

 it in disgust, and walked off to Dr. Bridges. I passed on 

 my way the place where a man was murdered the night 



