April 27, 1898.J 



FOREST AND STREAM 



861 



-labors produce the means by which Iiis more scientific 

 brothers are enabled to reach definite conclusions. 



There is not much left for me to tel]. Audubon re- 

 turned from his last expedition in October, 1848, and 

 immediately began to work upon his "Quadrupeds of 

 America," the first volume appearing two years later. He 

 lived on his place 

 now known as Au- 

 dubon Park, at that 

 time far removed 

 from the bricks, 

 dust and grime of 

 the great city which, 

 he could never tol- 

 eratp. The first vol- 

 ume of the Quad- 

 rupeds was his last 

 work. He retained 

 his simple habits, 

 passing much of 

 his time in the 

 woods or at his 

 easel, but he was 

 now verging to- 

 ward three score 

 and ten, and while 

 he loved all his pur- 

 suits, was as eager 

 as ever, the number 

 of his accomplished 

 years had tempered 

 \he ardor of his en- 

 irgetic spirit, and 

 lihe fire of his youth- 

 ful passion was 

 tradually lapsing 

 nto a fitful glow. 

 • 1 tfe was peace- 

 ; ud happy, sur- 

 ^ijjtded by all the 

 J e rn b e r s of my 

 lear family, enjoy- 

 ijig the affection of 

 numerous friends 

 md possessing suf- 

 icient share of all 

 fhat contributes to 

 nake life agreeable, 

 lift my grateful 

 , es toward the 

 Supreme Being and 

 :eel that I am 



yjiia day he, dis- 

 severed that^ he 



jould not adjust his glasses so as to find a focus upon his 

 sanvas, and from that moment he began to fail. The 

 ievoted wife who had always been his main stay 

 bhroughout his checkered career now never left him, 

 read to him, and during his walks about the groimds 

 w^hich stretched to the banks of the Hudson, was always 

 at his side, but the once erect, lithe and agile figure was 

 aow lost in the feeble form of an aged man. Toward 

 the last another shadow fell upon him and his mind 



failed, and his eye, noted for its brightness, became dim, 

 and during the remainder of his stay on earth, like a little 

 child he was led by the hand. 



On the 27tli of .January, 1851, the summons came, and 

 as he lay upon his bed surrounded by his family his eyes 

 regained their luster, as though they penetrated the valley 



THE GREAT AUK. 

 Beproduced from "The Birds of America." 



and looked beyond the river into the land which is ever 

 far off, and with his hands clasped in those of his wife he 

 passed peacefiilly away. He sleeps by the side of our 

 noble river, which, in. its fair and fuU. proportions, with 

 stately sweep moves calmly onward to the great deep so 

 near at hand, while above him, bearing upon its chiseled 

 sides reproductions from his own drawings, rises the 

 splendid monument this day imveiled in honor of his 

 memory and to commemorate his work." 



American Felidss. 



San Luis Potosi, Mexico. — In a recent number of 

 Forest and Stream a correspondent from the Rio Grande 

 country argues that there is, or was, a large cat in that 

 section, which is neither the puma nor the Mexican tiger. 

 I think he is undoubtedly mistaken. I have used every 



means at my com- 

 mand for the last 

 four or five years 

 to get the run of 

 the Mexican fauna, 

 and so far as I can 

 learn there are only 

 two large cats. The 

 tiger (Felis onca) or 

 jaguar is the larger. 

 I have never heard 

 him called jaguar, 

 though it seems to 

 be a Spanish or In- 

 dian word. Can 

 any one give its 

 origin? Here he is 

 spoken of always 

 as tigre. He lives 

 in the thickets of 

 the hot country, 

 and is not much of 

 a fighter. Almost 

 any dog will tree 

 him, and he then 

 offers an easy shot. 

 Indians often stUl- 

 hunt him with an 

 old smooth - bore 

 and at night. The 

 lion or cougar or 

 puma (Felis con- 

 color) is exactly the 

 same here as all 

 over the continent. 

 Hia range is wide 

 a.nd his size and 

 color vary slightly 

 with Ms habitat. 

 He is dangerous 

 when crowded, and 

 often makes it 

 warm for dogs. Be- 

 sides these we have 

 two or three species 

 of the ocelot — ^pos- 

 sibly they are only 

 varieties — and the 

 two kinds of lynx 

 Mr, E. W. Nelson, of the Department of Agriculture, is 

 in Mexico working up the animals. He will have an in- 

 teresting report to make when he is done. Azteo, 



The decision of the Secretary of the Interior, revoking 

 the permits lately granted to private persons for cutting 

 off' 50 per cent, of the timber land of Montana, was an im- 

 fiortant one and a wise and beneficial one. The wilder- 

 ness is going fast enough. 



,THB GJRJSEN WOODPECKER ^Ax Obawibo. 



'filE COOT AN Early Dbawjks. 



