TO EUROPE AND SUCCESS 375 
invited to contribute, a single volume of plates and text 
having then been published.?? 
At Newcastle, where Audubon spent a week, he 
saw much of its grand old man, Thomas Bewick, “the 
first wood cutter in the world,” and conceived a deep 
regard for him, which he afterwards expressed in one 
of his “Episodes.” As they parted, this great son of 
nature held him closely by the hand, and for the third 
time repeated, “God preserve you!” “I looked at him 
in such a manner,” said Audubon, “that I am sure he 
understood I could not speak.” 
* Illustrations of British Ornithology, by Prideaux John Selby. The 
British Museum copy of this work is in two large folio volumes (measur- 
ing about 2514 by 2014 inches), and was issued originally in numbers 
which appeared at irregular intervals. Vol. I, plates i-iv (of bills, heads, 
and feet), i-c (of land birds); most of the plates are by Selby, and many 
were etched by him and autographed, 1819-1821; plates xiv, xvi, and xx are 
by Captain R. Mitford, whose home, “Mitford Castle,” near Morpeth, 
Northumberland, was visited by Audubon in April, 1827; published at 
Edinburgh by Archibald Constable & Co., and by Hurst, Robinson & 
Co., London, 1825 (?)-1827. Volume II, plates i-ciii; printed for the 
Proprietor & published by W. H. Lizars, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, 
Green & Longman, London; and W. Curry, Junr. & Co., Dublin, 
MDCCCXXXIV. Quaritch, in offering a copy in 1887, at £55, stated 
that there were 383 figures, in 221 colored plates, and that the pub- 
lished price was £105. Newton (Dictionary of Birds, p. 27) says that 
the first series of these “Illustrations” was published in codperation with 
Sir William Jardine, in 3 volumes of 150 plates, in 1827-1835, after which 
a second series was started by them, and completed in a single volume 
of 53 plates, issued in 1843.. This was the “job book” mentioned earlier 
in this chapter (see p. 358), but neither Jardine’s nor Jameson’s name is 
mentioned in the volumes which I have examined. 
In a letter to Audubon, dated “Sept. 13h 1830 Twizel [1?] House,” and 
postmarked “Belford,” Selby said: “I expect to bring my own work to a 
conclusion during the course of this winter having only the plates of another 
Number to finish. I am happy to add that the Work is doing well & is 
more than paying itself. The second Vol: of letter press will appear with 
the last No.” 
Two volumes of text were published in 1825 and 1833 respectively; 
the first, after readjustment to fit the “quinarian doctrine,” to which 
Selby was a temporary convert (see Vol. II, p. 94), was issued in a second 
edition at London, in 1841; the second volume bore the imprint of Lizars, 
who soon after began to work for Audubon. 
Selby’s plates were for the most part rather crudely drawn, etched 
and colored, and could be commended only as the work of amateurs 
who strove for accuracy. 
