• T M 



Ornithologist * Botanist. 



PUBLISHED MONTHLY. 



SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $100. 



VOL. II. 



DES MOINES, IOWA, FEBRUARY, 1892. 



NO. 2. 



AWARD OF THE PRIZES. 



The winuers of the ten prize sub- 

 scriptions to the second volume of the 

 Ornithologist and Botanist have 

 been decided as follows: Miss Jessie C. 

 Drew. Thompson ville, Conn., (1) ; Har- 

 ry E. Miller, Croton Falls, N. Y., (1) ; 

 John A. Bryant, Kansas City. Mo., (1) 

 John B. Lewis, Eubauks, Ky., (2) ; W. 

 H. McNairn, Toronto, Canada., (2); 

 Stewart H. Burnham, Vaughns, N. Y., 

 (3). ■\. 



Those who won extra subscriptions 

 may have them sent to their friends, if 

 desired, by notifying the publisher, or 

 they may have their own subscriptions 

 extended to the amount of the extras. 

 All articles entered for competition will 

 be published in this magazine. 



j6hN JAMES AUDUBON. 

 (780-1851. 



HARRY E. .MII.T.ER. CROTON FALLS. X. Y. 



The year of 1780-81 witnessed the 

 final struggles of our war for freedom. 

 These were uncertain days and often it 

 seemed as though the little army of 

 patriots miist relinquish all hopes of 

 being free, but in spite of their many 

 reverses, the star of liberty still shown 

 behind the threatening clouds. 



It was during these war times, on 

 the fourth of May, 1780, that a child 

 was born of French parentage in the 

 city of New Orleans and r^eed I say his 

 name was Audubon. 



Audubon's father was an admiral in 

 the French navy, who had come with 

 his family to the western world to set- 

 tle in King Louis' territory of Louis- 

 iana. 



Of Audubon's bo)'hood, we know that 

 he was fond of birds from his earliest 

 years. Ever eager to penetrate the 

 woods and forests, to roam at will over 

 the fields and by the streams, he soon 

 came to know the feather-ed tenants and 

 who can say but what they knew him. 

 A great deal of his time was spent in 

 sketching bird-life, while at the same 

 time he acquired much knowledge as 

 to their habits. In 1797 his father 

 sent him to France so that he might be 

 under the tuition of the celebrated 

 David. As Audubon possessed great 

 natural skill he soon became an artist 

 by no means to be despised, in fact, we 

 may consider him the greatest artist- 

 naturalist of modern times and perhaps 

 the leading naturalist born in America. 

 On his return to the United States the 

 generous father, thinking of tourse 

 that his boy mirst have an occupation, 

 presented a farm in eastern Pensylva- 

 nia. As far as the young ornithologist 

 was concerned the farming did not 

 amount to much, which certainly show- 

 ed he was* not meant for a farmer; but 

 at the same time he was making fine 

 progress in his favorite study. Soon 

 his bedroom was "filled to overflowing" 

 with mounted birds, life-like paintings 



