Eminent Naturalists, 99 



seemed very phlegmatic about it and the sound produced no 

 impression, not even uneasiness. Perhaps, though, they dis- 

 criminate. 



They are so slow that it requires much time and patience 

 to study their habits, and then, in confinement, the conditions 

 are not natural. 



People are ready to believe anything phenomenal about a 

 snake or a spider. Many of the stories of marvelous instinct 

 and characteristics of spiders are woven from the golden tis- 

 sue of romance and are too cobwebby to be touched without 

 destruction, but it is a sorry wight, human or arachnoid, to 

 whom no romance can cling, and it is not strange that the 

 little brown anchoret in her silken cell in the foothills should 

 be credited with more than ordinary intelligence when she 

 shuts her door in the face of the world and retires to solitary 

 meditation. 



Miss Monks, 



EMINENT NATURALISTS,— 11. 



RAFINESQUK 



"What an odd-looking fellow," said I to myself, as while 

 walking by the river I observed a man landing from a boat 

 with, what I thought, a bundle of dried clover on his back. 

 ''How the boatmen stare at him! Surely he must be an 

 original." 



He ascended with rapid step, and, approaching me, asked \( 

 I could point to the house in which Mr. Audubon resided. 



"Why, I am the man," said I, " and will gladly lead you to 

 my dwelling." 



The traveler rubbed his hands together with delight, and 

 drawing a letter from his pocket, handed it to me without any 

 remark. I broke the seal and read as follows. " My dear 

 Audubon — I send you an odd fish, which you may prove to 

 be undescribed, and hope you will do so in your next letter. 

 Believe me always your friend, B." 



With all the simplicity of a woodsman, I asked the bearer 

 where the odd fish was; when M. de T. smiled, rubbed his 

 eyes, and with the greatest good humor, said, " I am that odd 

 fish, I presume, Mr. Audubon." 



Clean clothes were offered, but he would not accept them, 

 and it was with evident reluctance that he performed the lava- 

 tions usual on such occasions, before he sat down to dinner. 



