CHAPTEE in. 



AspiBATioNS — Youthful RBcoiiLECTioNS — A Marvellous Escape — Gleams 

 or Baeon Munchausen. 



At Mill Grove Audubon pored over his idea of a great work on 

 American Ornithology, until the thought took some shape in his 

 fervid mind. The work he had prepared for himself to do was an 

 " Ornithological Biography," including an account of the habits 

 and a description of the birds of America ; that work which in 

 its completed form Cuvier pronounced to be " The most gigantic 

 hiblical enterprise ever undertaken by the enterprise of a single 

 individual." However, it was only^after his drawings and his 

 descriptions accumulated upon him that Audubon decided to 

 give the collection the form of a scientific work. 



Audubon speaks of his life at Mill Grove as being in every 

 way agreeable. He had ample means for all his wants, was 

 gay, extravagant, and fond of dress. He rather naively writes 

 in his journal, " I had no vices ; but was thoughtless, pensive, 

 loving, fond of shooting, fishing, and riding, and had a passion 

 for raising all sorts of fowls, and which sources of interest 

 and amusement fully occupied my time. It was one of my 

 fancies to be ridiculously fond of dress; to hunt in black 

 satin breeches, wear pumps when shooting, and dress in the 

 finest ruffled shirts I could obtain from France." He was also 

 fond of dancing, and music, und skating, and attended all the 

 balls and skating parties in his neighbourhood. Kegarding his 

 mode of life, Audubon gives some hints useful to those who 

 desire to strengthen their constitution by an abstemious diet. 



