THE OOLOGIST. 



6^, 



about the matter anon. — I am almost 

 in hopes to see Victor tomorrow night 

 but cannot be sure. There are some- 

 where at home the nests of the birds 

 found on the Columbia by Nuttall and 

 Townsend, I believe that of Bewick's 

 Wren is among them; send them all, 

 very carefully paciied. I want the 

 journal of my tirst trip to the Floridas, 

 which was cut out of my large leather 

 journal, previous to going to Labrador, 

 also a letter on the habits of the Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoo, by a gentleman at Char- 

 leston. If it cannot be found perhaps 

 Maria will recollect his name, being a 

 friend of John Bachman, if so send me 

 that, in full, if possible. It is the gen- 

 tleman in whose garden I procured the 

 small and large cuckoos in the same 

 nest. — 



"I have written 44 articles for my ap- 

 pendix and will continue whenever I 

 am not otherwise engaged, so as to save 

 time at last. — I am sorry for the death 

 of poor Wickliffe but glad that his 

 brother was with him at New York pre- 

 viously, and that we at least, have done 

 all we could for him. MacGillivray is 

 quite well, and works very hard, poor 

 fellow — I am glad of John's repainting 

 the head by VanDyke, two copies of 

 such heads are valuable to him, besides 

 his improving by so working — When 

 Victor has left for this place, John must 

 pay much attention to the colourers and 

 call also on the book binder. Havell 

 ought to exert himself in having some 

 .4th vols: delivered as soon as possible. 



"My last letter which was written 

 last Sunday, was put too late in the of- 

 fice, which closed on that day at two 

 o'clock, and did not therefore leave this 

 till four o'clock on Monday afternoon; 

 this one will have a better chance, for 

 I will take it myself to the general of- 

 fice. I have seen no one hardly since 

 my last, I am indeed as busilv engaged 

 as ever, and rarely go to bed before 

 eleven — being with Mr. MacGillivray 

 until generally past ten, describing etc. 



I rise at four or earlier, he at ten; but I 

 go to bed at eleven, he at two. I discov- 

 ered that he was adverse to the exami- 

 nation of the intestinal canals etc., be- 

 cause many of my birds which are com- 

 mon to both countries will be published 

 before his 2d vol., can now possibly be; 

 but as soon as I told him that 1 had al- 

 ready said in my introduction; that the 

 anatomical structure was declared to 

 be his, he was much pleased and began 

 on the instant. 



"Today is very dismal, and it will 

 rain probably until night; 1 wish we 

 had here some of the warm weather of 

 which dearest Mamma speaks. I have 

 had but one walk to Arthur's Seat, but 

 now and then I stroll to the meadows, 

 which are close to me, and now look 

 well. — From the window of my sitting 

 room I overlook the garden of Mr.. 

 Frazer our printer, and now and then 

 speak to him there, I have not yet how- 

 ever visited him. — I will recollect the 

 Queen's farthing when next I see Pro- 

 fessor Wilson, but doubt much if he 

 will recollect the least idea of it. Has 

 Chorley written or said anything to 

 Victor about the review of the work; 

 remember me to Healey. — 



"I suppose that the crown of England 

 sits very quietly down, and that all 

 was very superfine. I have not so 

 much as seen a paper since I left you. 



"God bless you all, dearest friends, 

 take good care of Mamma and Maria. 



"Ever your firmly attached father 

 and friend 



"J. J. Audubon, 



'•No 7 Archibald Place, Lauriston." 



Up to the present time there has 

 been no personal letter of Audubon's 

 published which so clearly shows, as 

 this one does, the ^precise relations be- 

 tween MacGillivray and himself. Al- 

 though it testifies to the fact that the 

 former is entirely responsible for the 

 anatomical descriptions of "The Birds 

 of America," it likewise goes to show 

 that Audubon took a lively and person-. 



