ALEXANDER WILSON. 29 



nent cheek bones, were unfavourably united to 

 a stature not above the middle beigbt. His 

 dress, consisting of a sbort coat, trousers and 

 waistcoat of gray clotb, was one unfrequent in 

 that part of the country. His object in calling 

 was to secure Audubon's patronage and a fresh 

 subscription for his work. Audubon, on the 

 eve of assenting to his request, was arrested 

 by an interrogation from a friend, with an ac- 

 panying suggestion — that his own drawings 

 were far superior. Whether from vanity, 

 which too willingly corroborated the assertion, 

 or a conscientious conviction of its truth, Au- 

 dubon then declined to subscribe. 



The astonishment of Wilson, on examining 

 the collection of Audubon was as great as had 

 been his on recognizing a fellow labourer. Pur- 

 suing the same objects and proposing the same 

 ends, they had remained in entire ignorance of 

 each other's inquiries and achievements; and 

 like too many students toiling in solitude to la- 

 borious discoveries, were surprised and disap- 

 pointed to find them forestalled. 



Audubon strove to efface the annoyance, evi- 

 dently caused through his dissent, by every 

 friendly demonstration to Wilson, even offering 

 to allow him to publish the results of his own 

 researches, which he had not the intention of 

 doing himself at that time, with the condition 

 3* 



