ii6 



AUDUBON 



they went off at a slow canter. At this moment Harris 

 and I were going towards the party thus engaged, when a 

 Swift Fox started from a hole under the feet of Harris' 

 horse. I was loaded with balls, and he also; he gave 

 chase and gained upon the beautiful animal with remark- 

 able quickness. Bell saw this, and joined Harris, whilst 

 I walked towards the butchering party. The Fox was 

 overtaken by Harris, who took aim at it several times, 

 but could not get sight on him, and the little fellow 

 doubled and cut about in such a manner that it escaped 

 into a ravine, and was seen no more. Now who will tell 

 me that no animal can compete with this F'ox in speed, 

 when Harris, mounted on an Indian horse, overtook it in 

 a few minutes.^ We were now in sight of a large band of 

 cows and bulls, but the sun was low, and we left them to 

 make our way to the camping-place, which we reached 

 just before the setting of the sun. We found plenty of 

 water, and a delightful spot, where we were all soon at 

 work unsaddling our horses and mules, bringing wood 

 for fires, and picking service-berries, which we found in 

 great quantities and very good. We were thirty miles 

 from Fort Union, close to the three Mamelles, but must 

 have travelled near fifty, searching for and running down 

 the game. All slept well, some outside and others in- 

 side the tent, after our good supper. We had a clear, 

 bright day, with the wind from the westward. 



July 27, Thursday. This morning was beautiful, the 

 birds singing all around us, and after our early breakfast, 

 Harris, with La Fleur and Mr. Culbertson, walked to the 

 top of the highest of the three Mamelles; Bell went to 

 skinning the birds shot yesterday,^ among which was a 



* Among the "birds shot yesterday," July 26, when Audubon was too 

 full of his Kuffalo hunt to notice them in his Journal, were two, a male and 

 a female, killed by Mr. Bell, which turned out to be new to science. For 

 these were no ether than Haird's Bunting, Emheriza hairdii of Audubon, 

 B. Amer. vii., 1844, p. 359, pi. 500. Audubon there says it was " during one 

 of our Buffalo hunts, on the 26th July, 1843," ^"'l ^^^^ : " I have named this 



