160 AUDUBON" THE NATURALIST. 



Working early and late lie continued to im- 

 prove as far as possible his drawings, as well ad 

 diligently to collect from his portfolio all that 

 related to the habits of the birds represented. 

 At length, after years of anxiety, he was pre- 

 sented with the first volume of the Birds of 

 America. This was in 1835. So far, at least, 

 he had the delightful assurance of the triumph 

 of his hopes. Scrupulously comparing the 

 plates, he felt convinced too of their improve- 

 ment as they proceeded, and looked forward 

 confidently to the completion of the second vol- 

 ume. 



Subsequently he visited London and Edin- 

 burgh, receiving from his friends in those cities, 

 the most kindly assistance, as well as numerous 

 interesting additions to his collections in some 

 rare and beautiful specimens of birds. He was 

 especially delighted traversing the highlands of 

 Scotland. The rocky shores of their magnifi- 

 cent lakes, the splendour of their mountains, and 

 the roar of the torrents, the romantic glens, and 

 picturesque passes, gorgeous landscapes and 

 heather-purpled hills, with clusters of the lichen 

 and red-berried mountain ash, awakened his 

 liveliest admiration. 



In the third volume of his illustrations it was 

 Audubon's object to give a description of the 

 water birds. Owing to the large size of these 



