AUDUBON'S GREATEST TRIUMPH 169 



are concerned. European writers who a few years since were 

 all agog to prove that our apparently analogous species were 

 identical with those of Europe have suddenly "faced about," 

 and pronounce our birds to be quite distinct species, and of 

 course now say that our raven is indeed our raven ! and all this 

 because I proved that the Corvus corone of Europe existed not 

 in America. All this induces the present natural student of na- 

 ture to have his eyes and all his senses fully open, and to see 

 into things further than we can into grindstones. . . . 



Charles Bonaparte, who has just this moment left me, has 

 kindly proffered me his new North American species, and I hope 

 to figure them all, thereby rendering my work the more com- 

 plete, if not quite perfect, as far as truly well-known species 

 are now thought to exist in the limits of our country, or indeed 

 those of North America. 



When writing his young friend again, on November 

 18, he implored him to proceed 



with all possible industry, in procuring the birds of my list, in 

 rum. I hope you will have a pair of pied ducks (Fuligvla 

 labradora) for me. Send me all the drawings of eggs you can 

 so that they reach me here by the 1st to 10th of March next. If 

 the birds arrive in London by the middle of April, it will do. 

 ... I send you inclosed the copy of an advertisement of my 

 work, which I wish you to hand over to our most generous 

 friend George Parkman, Esq., M. D., and ask him to have it 

 inserted in one or more of the Boston newspapers as soon as 

 convenient. 



Again, on the 22nd, he admonished his friend not to send 

 his "drawings of eggs by letter/' but to forward all such 

 to N". Berthoud, "and ask him to send them by captains 

 of London packets. The postages are very heavy these 

 hard times, and I am not a prince." 



Although Audubon's "Prospectus" called for only 



