Industrious Habits. 203 



them. How I should like to look into them for 

 rmly two iveeks. Alas ! what can I do ? Sometimes, 

 1 have to set aside a species, for the lack of speci- 

 mens and books. The books are to be found in 

 New York and Philadelphia, but are expensive. I 

 would not have you buy them ; but could you not 

 copy for me such articles as we need ? 



I enclose my plan. I wish always, a month be- 

 fore the time, that you would give me notice of the 

 species you intend to put into the hands of the en- 

 graver, and send me, at the same time, the speci- 

 men. I cannot describe without it; I will guess at 

 nothing. 



I find the labor greater than I expected, and fear 

 that I may break down and, therefore, cry in time, 

 '* Help me Cassius or I sink !" Writing descriptions 

 is slow and fatiguing work. I cannot, in the careful 

 manner that I am doing them, write more than 

 three in a week. My son-in-law, Haskell, has copied 

 forty-two closely written pages for me. I cannot 

 shorten the articles, many of them I ought ratlier to 

 lengthen. With patience and the help of all, I 

 hope, however, to get on — the work may be lighter 

 as we proceed. 



The following is my daily practice : " I am up at 

 4 A. M., and work till breakfast, and recently, 

 when parochial duties would permit, have kept on 

 until 3 P. M. 



The brush of my old friend, Audubon, is a truth- 

 teller. I regard his drawings as the best in the 

 world. Let us be very careful to correct any errors 

 of description that have crept in on the plates — I 

 see a few in the lettering — they can be corrected in 

 the letter-press ; and let us be so cautious as to have 

 nothing in the future to correct. There is but one 

 principle on which a just man can act; that is, 

 always to seek the truth and to abide by it. 



