184 John Bad una n. 



Friend Audubon, it will save me a long letter of 

 empty, dry deseriptions, to say to you that the only 

 three birds which you have in Maria's drawings, and 

 of which you have not seen the originals, were 

 shipped two days ago on board of the Saluda packet 

 for New York — and it is a chance if the vessel does 

 not outsail this letter, as even our roads have de- 

 clared for "Nullification." You will now have all 

 the skins before you — 'judge for youself, and amend 

 Maria's drawings, if you wish ; but, when this is 

 done, have pity on me, and send the three last birds 

 of the Sylvia back again ; or else the "Philosophical 

 Society" may think that a certain Parson and Cu- 

 rator does not know the ditference between meinn and 

 tauin. 



Well, friend " Jostle,"* the new l)irds have made 

 you scratch your head — I fancy I see you rummaging 

 up some of the neglected lumber in the store-house 

 of that capacious brain of yours — you have more ex- 

 perience than your poor friend, but I think, when 

 your letter comes, it will tell me that J was not far 

 from the mark in the first four birds that I described 

 and that the other three can only be known by a 

 comparison with the stuffed specimens of birds 

 Avhich they represent. * '^- * >■= * 



0, this abominable Synopsis I It is only calculated 

 to confuse. Have you seen specimens of these birds ? 

 May not Cooper, of New York, have them ? or may 

 not "Bonaparte's Vol. of Water Birds" be so far 

 underway, as to enable you to make comparison ? 



All beg to be kindl}^ remembered to you and 

 yours. Your friend, J. B. 



*After Audubon's first visit to Charleston, we find the 

 name "Old Jostle" applied by John Bachman to his friend 

 J. J. Audubon, and Young .lostle to his son John, or Jostle 

 No. 1, and to Mr. Victor Audubon, Jostle No. 2. Those 

 who could have given the origin of these names have passed 

 away. 



