294 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. VII. No. 166. 



The journal of the stay at Fort Union is 

 a running account of the daily life at this 

 remote outpost, with records of hunting — ■ 

 particularly Buffalo and Wolf hunting — 

 and observations on the habits of birds, 

 mammals, Indians, half-breeds, and traders, 

 interspersed with graphic episodes and de- 

 scriptions of the country. Audubon speaks 

 also of his labors in painting new birds 

 and quadrupeds — the real object of his trip 

 — and tells of the successes and disappoint- 

 ments attending his ceaseless efforts to 

 obtain new or rare specimens. 



Wolves were very abundant about the 

 fort and were often shot from the ramparts. 

 A week after Audubon's arrival his journal 

 contains this record : "June 19, Monday. 

 It began raining early this morning ; by 

 ' early,' I mean fully two hours before day- 

 light. The first news I heard was from 

 Mr. Chardon, who told me he had left a Wolf 

 feeding out of the pig's trough, which is 

 immediately under the side of the fort. 

 The next was from Mr. Larpenteur, who 

 opens the gates when the bell rings at sun- 

 rise, who told us he saw seven Wolves 

 ■within thirty yards, or less, of the fort. I 

 have told him since, with Mr. Chardon's 

 permission, to call upon us before he opens 

 these mighty portals, whenever he espies 

 Wolves from the gallery above, and I hope 

 that to-morrow morning we may shoot one 

 or more of these bold marauders. Sprague 

 has been drawing all day, and I a good 

 part of it ; and it has been so chilly and 

 cold that we have had fires in several parts 

 of the fort. Bell and Harris have gone 

 shooting this afternoon, and have not yet 

 returned. Bell cleaned the Wolf shot last 

 night, and the two Antelopes ; Old Provost 

 broiled brine, and the whole of them are 

 now in pickle. * * * * — Later. Harris 

 and Bell have returned, and, to my delight 

 and utter astonishment, have brought two 

 new birds : one a Lark, small and beautiful 

 [named by Audubon, Sprague's Lark and 



now known to naturalists as Anthus 

 spraguei]; the other like our common 

 Golden-winged Woodpecker, but with a 

 red mark instead of a black one along the 

 lower mandible running backward." A 

 few days later he adds some valuable notes 

 on the habits of the Lark: "The little 

 new Lark that I have named after Sprague 

 has almost all the habits of the Skylark of 

 Europe. Whilst looking anxiously after it, 

 on the ground where we supposed it to be 

 singing, we discovered it was high over 

 our heads, and that sometimes it went too 

 high for us to see it at all. ****** 

 The male rises by constant undulations to 

 a great height, say one hundred yards or 

 more ; and whilst singing its sweet-sound- 

 ing notes, beats its wings, poised in the air 

 like a Hawk, without rising at this time; 

 after which, and after each burst of sing- 

 ing, it sails in divers directions, forming 

 three-quarters of a circle or thereabouts, 

 then rises again, and again sings; the inter- 

 vals between the singing are longer than 

 those which the song occupies, and at times 

 the bird remains so long in the air as to 

 render it quite fatiguing to follow it with 

 the eye. Sprague thought one he watched 

 yesterday remained in the air about one 

 hour. Bell and Harris watched one for 

 more than half an hour, and this afternoon 

 I gazed upon one, whilst Bell timed it, for 

 thirty-six minutes." 



The journal of the return trip from Fort 

 Union contains many interesting records, 

 the general character of which may be 

 gleaned from the following : 



August 16. Started from Fort Union at 12 M. in 

 the Mackinaw barge 'Union.' Shot five young 

 Ducks. Camped at the foot of a high hlufE. Good 

 supper of Chickens and Ducks. 



Thursday, 17lh. Started early. Saw three Bighorns, 

 some Antelopes, and many Deer, fully twenty ; one 

 Wolf, twenty-two Swans, many Ducks. Stopped a 

 short time on a bar. Mr. Culbertson shot a female 

 Elk, and I killed two bulls. Camped at Buffalo 

 Bluff, where we found Bear tracks. 



