152 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



thologists; he promised to send me some specimens of 

 birds, and finished by subscribing to my work." Web- 

 ster also gave him a general note of recommendation, 

 in which he said: 7 "I take this mode of commending 

 Mr. Audubon to any friends of mine he may meet in his 

 journey to the west. I have not only great respect for 

 Mr. Audubon's scientific pursuits, but entertain for him 

 personally much esteem and hearty good wishes." Mr. 

 Davis exerted his influence in other directions, and in 

 this instance acted as agent for the transmission of 

 Audubon's plates to their distinguished friend ; on Octo- 

 ber 7, he wrote: 8 "I received the half Nos of the 

 'Birds of America' for the worthy and sublime Danl. 

 Webster they shall be delivered safely on his return." 

 After urging Audubon to visit Buffalo, where Dr. 

 Bowditch and his friends thought that a number of new 

 subscribers might be procured, he appended a list of 

 twelve likely names of residents of that city, and added : 

 "Bowdoin College shall be remembered as the oppor- 

 tunity offers." 



Webster, who was an ardent sportsman and w r ell ac- 

 quainted with the water fowl of the coast, had volun- 

 teered to procure for Audubon specimens of the Labra- 

 dor Duck, which was even then extremely rare and has 

 since become extinct, but w r as unable to fulfill his prom- 

 ise. Audubon had already found that many American 

 birds, like the common crow, which had been regarded 

 as identical with those of the Old World, were in reality 

 distinct, and was now anxious, as he wrote to Thomas 

 Brewer, "to compare the anatomy of all our birds 

 with those of the same families in Europe." His letters 



7 See Lucy B. Audubon, ed., op. cit., p. 391. 



8 In a letter signed "I. P. Davis," and superscribed to "John J. Audu- 

 bon Esqr at Mr. Berthoud's, 106 Broad Street New York." (Rowland 

 MSS.) 



