INTRODUCTION 9 



Barnwell, South Carolina, January 17 ; from there, apparent- 

 ly, he crossed the State of Georgia into Alabama, where he 

 speaks of being on February 12 ; on February 20, he was at 

 Tuscaloosa, and on February 26, "in one of the prairies of 

 Alabama." Later he proceeded to western Florida in the 

 region of Tallahassee, remaining until about the middle of 

 March, when he traveled to the Altamaha River in Georgia. 

 His "Manual" contains many references to birds seen in Ala- 

 bama, but usually without date or definite locality. 



Early in the spring of 1837, Audubon, in the course of his 

 journey from Augusta, Georgia, to New Orleans, Louisiana, 

 and return, crossed Alabama twice, but he has left us only a 

 brief outline of the journey and casual mention of the birds 

 seen.f Describing this trip, he says : 



After several days of severe traveling we arrived at Mont- 

 gomery in Alabama, and meeting there with a steamboat bound 

 to Mobile, secured our passage. Next day we arrived there, 

 and spent two days in examining the neighborhood; after which 

 we proceeded to Pensacola. After searching the country around 

 Pensacola, we returned to Mobile, and proceeded to New Orleans 

 in a steamer, by way of the great lakes. 



Audubon then visited the coast of Texas, returning to New 

 Orleans on May 27, 1837, soon after which he started back to 

 Mobile. Of this trip, he says : 



bidding farewell to our friends, I and my son set out for 

 Charleston by way of Mobile, whence we crossed the country 

 in a cart with the United States mail-bags whereon, in lieu of 

 downy beds and pillows, our bones rested in cramped positions 

 during the night, whilst by day we had ample opportunities of 

 walking over the miserable roads, through an almost unculti- 

 vated country, and with very indifferent fare. On reaching 

 Montgomery, however, we met with a good coach, and moved 

 more rapidly toward our destination.* 



Among the species which he mentions, the most important are 

 the flamingo, the ivory-billed woodpecker, and the purple 

 gallinule — perhaps the three most striking birds of the State. 



tAudubon, J. J., Ornithological Biography, vol. 4, pp. xtv-xv, 1838. 

 *0p. cit. p. xiz. 



