PREFACE xi 
They loved Nature at first hand, and not 
merely as she appears in books and pictures. 
They both kept extensive journals of their 
wanderings and observations. Several of 
Audubon’ s (recording his European experi- 
ences) seem to have been lost or destroyed, 
but what remain make up the greater part 
of two large volumes recently edited by his 
grand-daughter, Maria R. Audubon. 
I wish here to express my gratitude both 
to Miss Audubon, and to Messrs. Charles 
Scribner's Sons, for permitting me to draw 
Freely from the “ Life and Journals’? just 
mentioned. The temptation is strong to let 
Audubon’ s graphic and glowing descriptions 
of American scenery, and of his tireless 
wanderings, speak for themselves. 
It is from these volumes, and from the 
life by his widow, published in 1868, that I 
have gathered the material for this brief 
biography. 
Audubon’s life naturally divides itself 
into three periods: his youth, which was on 
the whole a gay and happy one, and which 
