30 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 



his " Water Birds of America, and that thei 

 exhibition was numerously and fashionably 

 attended, and his drawings universally admired;"' 

 and adds, that " his subscription list has received 

 substantial tokens of regard." 



About the end of October, 1831, a report 

 found its way into the English papers from the 

 Literary Gazette^ which was copied from a 

 Philadelphia paper, stating that Audubon, the 

 American ornithologist, had died while prose- 

 cuting his researches. This information excited 

 general feelings of regret amongst scientific 

 men ; and, as we had good grounds for sup- 

 posing it to be incorrect, we addressed the 

 following letter to the editor of the Caledonian 

 Mercury^ which we give at length, as it embraces 

 some topics to which we consider it necessary 

 to direct the attention of the reader. 



" Sir, — I sincerely hope that the announce- 

 ment in the Mercury of Saturday last, of the 

 death of the celebrated Audubon, is not correct. 

 Indeed, I cannot believe it to be so, from the 

 manner in which it is stated, namely, that he 

 was about to return to England with a rich store 

 of objects in natural history. 



" Mr Audubon, accompanied by his accom- 

 plished wife, sailed from England for the United 

 States on the 2d of August last. It was that 



