33 
MEMOIR OF 
tions, I see new beauties in every bird, plant, or 
flower, I contemplate ; and find my ideas of the in- 
comprehensible First Cause still more exalted, the 
more minutely I examine Ilis works. 
“ I sometimes smile to think, that while others 
are immersed in deep schemes of speculation and 
aggrandizement, in building towns and purchasing 
plantations, I am entranced in contemplation over 
the plumage of a Lark, or gazing, like a despairing 
lover, on the lineaments of an Owl. While others 
are hoarding up their bags of money, without the 
power of enjoying it, I am collecting, without in- 
juring my conscience, or wounding my peace of 
mind, those beautiful specimens of Nature’s works 
that are for ever pleasing. I have had live Crows, 
Hawks, and Owls; opossums, squirrels, snakes, 
lizards, &c. so that my room has sometimes re- 
minded me of Noah’s ark ; but Noah had a wife in 
one comer of it, and, in this particular, our parallel 
does not altogether tally. I receive every subject 
of natural history that is brought to me ; and, 
though they do not march into my ark from all 
quarters, as they did into that of our great ancestor, 
yet I find means, by the distribution of a few five- 
penny lits, to make them find the way fast enough. 
A boy, not long ago, brought me a large basketful 
of Crows. I expect his next load will be bull frogs, 
if I dont soon issue orders to the contrary. One of 
my boys caught a mouse in school, a few days ago, 
and directly marched up to me with his prisoner. 
I set about drawing it that same evening ; and all 
