AUDUBON'S GREATEST TRIUMPH 181 



I suppose that the crown of England sits very quietly down, 

 and that all was very superfine. I have not so much as seen a 

 paper since I left you. 



God bless you all, dearest friends, and take good care of 

 Mamma and Maria, 



Ever your firmly attached father and friend 



J. J. AUDUBON. 

 No. 7 Archibald Place, 

 Lauriston. 



Audubon's fourth volume, the printing of which 

 was announced in this letter, was published in Novem- 

 ber, and at the conclusion of the introduction he said: 



I believe the time to be fast approaching when much of the 

 results obtained from the inspection of the exterior alone will 

 be laid aside; when museums filled with the stuffed skins will 

 be considered insufficient to afford a knowledge of birds ; and 

 when the student will go forth not only to observe the habits 

 and haunts of animals, but to procure specimens of them to be 

 carefully dissected. 



These prophetic remarks, which were no doubt inspired 

 by the studies of MacGillivray, have found ample justi- 

 fication in the later history of ornithology; to give a 

 single illustration, it w r as through the aid of anatomy 

 only, in this instance, of the vocal organs, that modern 

 students have been able to define the true Passerine or 

 Oscine birds, as distinguished from all others, and as 

 the highest representatives of the avian class. 



In the autumn of 1838, when Mrs. Audubon was still 

 suffering from impaired health, the naturalist paused 

 in his work to indulge in a short vacation, the first in 

 many years. On September 14, he wrote to Edward 

 Harris, who was then in Scotland : 7 



7 See S. N. Rhoads (Bibl. No. 46), loc. cit. 



