The Oologist. 



vol. XI. NO. 6. 



ALBION, N. Y., JUNE, 1894. 



Whole No. 104 



Notes from Audubon's Biography. 

 Fred W. Parkhurst. 



Part I. 



John James Audubon, the subject c f 

 this sketch, and one of the most thor- 

 ough and conscientious naturalists who 

 ever lived, was born in the state of 

 Jjouisiana, May 4, 1780. 



Before he had hardly learned to walk 

 and prattle those first words so endear- 

 ing to parents the productions of Na- 

 ture, which were so bountifully spread 

 before him, became his constant com- 

 panions; and before his ideas were suf- 

 ficiently formed to enable him to esti- 

 mate the difference between the azure 

 tints of the sky and the emerald hues 

 •of the bright foliage, he felt that noth- 

 ing less than a life devoted to the con 

 :stant study of the beautiful and won- 

 derful in Nature would content him. 

 -None but aerial companions suited the 

 fancy of the young Audubon. His 

 father generally accompanied him on 

 his trips to the woods, procuring birds 

 and flowers for him with great eager- 

 ness, — pointed out the elegant move- 

 ments of the former, the softness and 

 beauty of their plumage, the manifesta- 

 tions of their pleasure or sense of dan- 

 ger, — and the always perfect forms and 

 .attire of the latter. His father would 

 •speak of the migration of the birds, 

 their many haunts, and their change of 

 livery. This alone was enough to in- 

 fluence the mind of Audubon towards 

 .Nature irresistably, inclined as he was 

 by instinct from the cradle. 



As Audubon grew up his wishes took 

 torm, and these wishes were to possess 

 •everything which came within the range 

 of his vision. He was fervently desir- 

 ous of becoming acquainted with Na- 

 ture, but the moment a bird was dead, 



no matter how beautiful it had been in 

 life, the pleasure arising from the pos- 

 session of it became blunted. He 

 wished to possess all the productions 

 of Nature, but he wished life with them. 

 This was impossible, and in his disap- 

 pointment he turned to his father for 

 aid. Quick to appreciate the situation 

 he produced a book of illustrations. 

 The leaves were turned over eagerly, 

 and although what he saw was not 

 what he longed for yet it gave him the 

 idea of copying Nature. To Nature he 

 went, but was sorely disappointed, 

 when, after several years of constant 

 effort he found that his productions 

 were worse than those which he regard- 

 ed as bad in the book given him by his 

 father. His pencil gave birth to a fam- 

 ily of crippled, ill-formed objects. 

 Hundreds upon hundreds of these 

 sketches were produced annually, and 

 for a long time, at Audubon's request, 

 they made bon-fires of them on the an- 

 niversary of his birthday. 



Soon after Audubon went to France 

 and studied design under the eminent 

 artist David. He returned from Paris 

 at the age of seventeen, and from that 

 time his drawings assumed a form. On 

 his arrival in America he betook him- 

 self to the woods with fresh ardor, and 

 commenced a collection of drawings, 

 which were subsequently published un- 

 der the title of the "Birds of America." 



In Pennsylvania Audubon's father 

 gave him in his desire to always prove 

 a friend to him, a "beautiful planta- 

 tion," traversed by a creek called Per- 

 kioming. Its fine woodlands, exten- 

 sive fields and evergreen-crowned hills 

 offered many a subject for his pencil. 

 It was here that his study of the birds 

 of America was really commenced. 



In the year 1808 he fell in love with 

 and married Lucy Bakewell, and she 



