J^iJi.i'LORATIONS IN FLORIDA 17 



made the schooner at the landing again. "The birds, 

 generally speaking," he continues, "appeared wild and 

 few — you must be aware that I call birds few, when I 

 shoot less than one hundred per day." 



Such remarks as we have just quoted might convey 

 the impression that the American woodsman, with whose 

 name the cause of bird protection is now associated in 

 this country, was a reckless destroyer of all bird life, 

 but this was far from the case. It must be remembered 

 that this was over eighty years ago, when the unrivaled 

 abundance of our birds was such that the necessity of 

 their conservation had hardly entered the dreams of the 

 most discerning. Audubon no doubt had gradually 

 yielded to the prevalent mania for describing and figur- 

 ing new species, and to make out all the minute specific 

 differences a large series of specimens was necessary; 

 still more were needed for the detection of individual 

 variation, which did not escape him, and much less his 

 assistant, William MacGillivray, who demanded large 

 numbers for his anatomical studies. Furthermore, 

 Audubon counted upon defraying a part of his expenses 

 by collections of skins of American birds, which were 

 then desiderata among the museums of Europe.^^ 



When it was proposed that they should return, 



preparations were accordingly made, and we left the schooner, 

 with tide and wind in our teeth, and with the prospect of a 

 severe, cold night. Our hands pulled well, and our bark was 

 as light as our hearts. All went on merrily until dark night 

 came on. The wind freshening, the cold augmenting, the pro- 

 visions diminishing, the waters lowering, all — all depreciating 

 except our enterprising dispositions. We found ourselves fast 

 in the mud about 300 yards from a marshy shore, without the 

 least hope of being able to raise a fire, for no trees except palm 



" See Vol. II, p. 129. 



