160 SCIENCE SKETCHES. 
Lexington the degree of Master of Arts, he says, 
“because I had not studied Greek in a college, 
although I knew more languages than all the 
American colleges united. But it was granted at 
last; but that of Doctor of Medicine was not 
granted, because I would not superintend ana- 
tomical dissections.” He continues: — 
“Mr. Holley, the president of the university, despised 
and hated the natural sciences, and he wished to drive 
me out altogether. To evince his hatred against science 
and its discoveries, he had broken open my rooms in my 
absence, given one to the students, and thrown all my 
effects, books, and collections into the other. He had 
deprived me of my situation as librarian, and tried to turn 
me out of the college. I took lodgings in town, and car- 
ried there all my effects, leaving the college with curses 
both on it and Holley, which reached them both soon 
after ; for Holley died of the yellow fever in New Orleans 
and the college was burned with all its contents.”’ 
In one of his summer trips Rafinesque became 
acquainted with Audubon, who was then painting 
birds and keeping a little “ grocery-store” down 
the river, at Henderson, Kentucky. Rafinesque 
reached Henderson in a boat, carrying on his back 
a bundle of plants which resembled dried clover. 
He accidentally met Audubon, and asked him to 
tell him where the naturalist lived. The ornithol- 
ogist introduced himself, and Rafinesque handed 
him a letter from a friend in the East, commending 
him to Audubon as an “odd fish, which might not 
be described in the published treatises.” The story 
of the interview is thus described by Audubon: 
