140 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 
of the humblest description, we were again in the region 
of brown fields and old farmsteads. 
Couéron village, which is marked by a modern 
church with an aggressive spire, extends along the river 
bank, but since its streets run parallel with it, the river 
itself is seen only at certain openings, occurring at irreg- 
ular intervals. In going to “La Gerbetiere” by the 
course I have described, the Loire was not visible at any 
point, and was not seen until we emerged from one of 
the village streets at the steamer’s pier. My guide had 
said that from the rise at the next crossroads we should 
see the roof of the house which we had come to visit, and 
his prediction was verified when I recognized immedi- 
ately its cupola raised above the gray stone walls which 
there bound every highway and field. The old villa is 
rather less than a mile from the village, but owing to the 
rolling nature of the country, it is completely hidden 
until at close approach it stands suddenly revealed. It 
lies in a fork of the road, securely inclosed by high, 
massive walls of stone, now hoary with age, while on 
the front it is further screened by a natural growth of 
bushes and trees. Immediately behind and to the west 
rises a prominent butte which cuts off the view to Port 
Launay on the river; this forms the one distinctive land- 
mark of the district, as its two windmill towers are vis- 
ible from all surrounding points. In Audubon’s day 
the house commanded a wide view of the Loire, but the 
river is now so completely masked by foliage as to be 
visible only from the upper windows; apparently it 
once flowed nearer to the house but has been pushed 
away by the construction of modern dykes. The hill- 
top to which I have just referred, like the roof of the 
villa, commands a panorama of the whole region, in- 
cluding Nantes and all the surrounding communes. 
