‘ 
MEMOIR OF JOHN JAMES AUDUBON. 201* 
had divided the productions of his pencil into three different classes, 
depending upon the magnitude of the objects which they represented. 
He arranged these as well as he could into parcels of five, each of which 
now forms a Number of his Illustrations. He continued to improve 
the whole as muchas was in his power, daily retiring farther from 
the haunts of man, determined to leave nothing undone, which his 
labour. time, and purse could reach. Eighteen monies elapsed, while 
he was thus ardently and arduously engaged. He then returned to 
his family, at the time living in Louisiana, and after having explored 
every portion of the vast woods around, sailed for the Old World. 
But before following him to England, let us observe, what he him- 
self has told about his mode executing the original drawings from 
which the Hlustrations have: been taken. 
* Merely to say,” he thus proceeds, ‘‘ that each object of my Illus- 
trations is of the size of Nature, were too vague, for, to many it might 
only convey the idea that they are so, more or less, according as the 
eye of the delineator may have been more or less correct in measure- 
ment, simply obtained through that medium; and of avoiding error 
in this respect, I am particularly desirous. Not only is every object, 
as a whole, of the natural size, but also every portion of each object. 
The compass aided me in its delineation, regulated, and corrected each 
part, even to the very fore-shortening, which now and then may be seen 
in the figures. The bill, the feet, the legs, the claws, the very feathers, 
as they project one beyond another, have been accurately measured. 
The birds, almost all of them, were killed by myself, after I had ex- 
amined their motions and habits, as much as the case admitted, and 
were regularly drawn on or near the spot where I procured them. 
The positions may, perhaps, in some instances, appear owtré; but 
such supposed exaggerations can afford subject of criticism only to 
persons unacquainted with the feathered tribes; for believe me, 
nothing can be more transient or varied than the attitudes or positions 
of birds. The Heron, when warming himself in the sun, will some- 
times drop its wings several inches, as if they were dislocated. The 
Swan may often be seen floating, with one foot extended from the 
body; and some Pigeons, you well know, turn quite over when play- 
ing inthe air. The flowers, plants, or portions of trees which are 
attached to the principal objects, have been chosen from amongst those 
in the vicinity of which the birds were found, and are not, as some 
persons thought, the trees or plants upon which they always feed or 
perch.” It is this extreme fidelity in the minutest pcints, and asso- 
ciations, together with his exquisite colouring, that renders Audubon’s 
delineations of the feathered tribes unsurpassed and unmatched. 
The admirer of the most fascinating works of man can never con- 
ceive, without being particularly told (and this is impossible), how 
much anxiety or whatdisheartening occurrences have been experienced 
in the course of the labour, by him who produced them. Audubon 
mentions one accident, which we must recount to the reader, as 
an example of the sort of obstacles which such enthusiasts encounter ; 
and surely nothing but a passion, which to tamer minds is unintelli- 
gible, could meet and overcome similar annoyances and drawbacks. 
Our naturalist had left a particular place situated on the banks of the 
_ Ohio, to proceed to Philadelphia on business.. He looked to his draw- 
