6 JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 
fields and woods, hunting birds’ nests, 
fishing and shooting and returning home 
at night with his basket filled with 
various natural specimens and curiosi- 
ties. The collecting fever is not a bad 
one to take possession of boys at this 
age. 
In his autobiography Audubon relates 
an incident that occurred when he was 
a child, which he thinks first kindled 
his love for birds. It was an encounter 
between a pet parrot and a tame mon- 
key kept by his mother. One morning 
the parrot, Mignonne, asked as usual for 
her breakfast of bread and milk, where- 
upon the monkey, being in a bad humour, 
attacked the poor defenceless bird, and 
killed it. Audubon screamed at the 
cruel sight, and implored the servant to 
interfere and save the bird, but without 
avail. The boy’s piercing screams 
brought the mother, who succeeded in 
tranquillising the child. The monkey 
was chained, and the parrot buried, but 
