178 



AUDUBON 



magnolia, all odoriferous, has frequently the teasing nettle 

 growing so near its large trunk as to sometimes be touched 

 by it. Edinburgh contains a Walter Scott, a Wilson, 

 a Jameson, but it contains also many nettles of the genus 

 Mammalia, amongst which men hold a very prominent 

 station. Now I have run into one of these latter gentiy 

 To speak out at once, one of my drawings was gently pur- 

 loined last evening from the rooms of the Institution. So 

 runs the fact; perhaps a few minutes before the doors 

 closed a somebody in a large cloak paid his shilling, en- 

 tered the hall and made his round, and with great caution 

 took a drawing from the wall, rolled it up, and walked off. 

 The porter and men in attendance missed it almost im- 

 mediately, and this morning I was asked if I or Mr. Lizars 

 had taken it to be engraved. I immediately told Mr. 

 Lizars ; we went to Mr. Bridges, and by his advice to the 

 court, where Captain Robeson — who, by the way, was at 

 the battle of New Orleans — issued a warrant against a 



young man of the name of I , deaf and dumb, who was 



strongly suspected. Gladly would I have painted a bird for 

 the poor fellow, and I certainly did not want him arrested, 

 but the Institution guards were greatly annoyed at the 

 occurrence. However, I induced Mr. Lizars to call on 

 the family of the youth, which is a very good one and well 

 known in Edinburgh. I returned to my lodgings and on 

 the stairs met a beggar woman with a child in her arms, 

 but passed her without much notice beyond pitying her 

 in her youth and poverty, reached my door, where I saw 

 a roll of paper ; I picked it up, walked in, opened it, and 

 found my drawing of the Biack-poll Warbler! Is not 

 this a curious story? The thief — whoever he maybe, 

 God pardon him — had, we conceived, been terror-struck 

 on hearing of the steps we had taken, and had resorted to 

 this method of restoring the drawing before he was ar- 

 rested. I was in time to stop the warrant, and the affair 

 was silenced. During the afternoon I was called on twice 



