Birds. 127 



together with a few bird- skins to you by land, but 

 no opportunity offers ; and, as she has only one more 

 to draw, I. shall send them by water. 



Tell your kind son, John, to show his good will 

 to me by putting me up a few bird-skins. I am 

 told that he does not particularly like bird-skin- 

 ning ; tell him that he might have a worse em- 

 ployment. How great a blessing is a wife and sons, 

 if they are clever. I fancy you like a king giving 

 general orders in your old age, and your family, 

 like Ministers of State, executing them. * * * 

 I have hardly room left to add my name and to say 

 that, I am, your friend, J. B. 



John Audubon sends the skins and writes his 

 first letter to his future father-in-law. We give the 

 reply. 



To John W. Audubon : 



Charleston, February 28th, 1833. 



I received your welcome letter, and before I had 

 time to answer it, your generous present arrived. 

 I write this evening to thank you, in great sincerity, 

 for this act of attention and kind remembrance. To 

 show you how much I prize the bird-skins, let me 

 assure you, that I had not a single one in my col- 

 lection of the kind ,vou sent, and, some of the birds, 

 I had never seen. I have examined them over and 

 over again ; I have labelled them all ; and they will 

 always remind me of the father and son to whom I 

 am under many obligations. You sent me one more 

 bird than your list specified — the Golden-Eyed Duck — 

 I suppose to show, that a generous man will do 

 more than he promises. 



I hope that it will give no offence to old Mr. 

 Jostle, if I just add, tliat notwithstanding his elegant 



