LIFE OF WILSON. 
li 
will afford you more pleasure than any of my productions has 
ever done. The two nondescript birds* which I killed on the 
Mohawk, attracted the notice of several naturalists about Phi- 
ladelphia. On the fourth of March I set to work upon a large 
sheet of fine drawing paper, and in ten days I finished two faith- 
ful drawings of them, far superior to any that I had done before. 
In the back ground I represented a view of the Falls of Nia- 
gara, with the woods wrought in as finely as I possibly could 
do. Mr. Lawson was highly pleased with it, and Mr. Bartram 
was even more so. I then wrote a letter to that best of men, 
Mr. Jefferson, which Mr. Bartram enclosed in one of his, (both 
of which, at least copies of them, I shall show you when we 
meet,) and sent off the whole, carefully rolled up, by the mail, 
on the 20th inst. to Monticello, in Virginia. The Jay I presented 
to Mr. Peale, at his request; and it is now in the Museum. I 
have done but few other drawings, being so intent on the poem. 
I hope if you find any curious birds, you will attempt to pre- 
serve them, or at least their skins; if a small bird be carefully 
skinned, it can easily be set up at any time. I still intend to 
complete my collection of drawings; but the last will be by far 
the best. * * * * 
“ The poor of Philadelphia have suffered extremely this win- 
ter, the river having been frozen up for more than two months, 
yet the ice went away without doing any damage. I must again 
request that you and Alexander would collect the skins of as 
many birds as you have not seen here. * * * * 
process of skinning the birds may amuse you; and your collec- 
tions will be exceedingly agreeable to me. In the mean time 
never lose sight of getting rid of the troublesome farm, if it can 
be done with advantage; so that we may once more be together; 
and write to me frequently. 
“I have now nothing more to say, but to give my affection- 
ate compliments to your mother and all the family; and to wish 
* One of these bii-cls was tlie Canada Jay, (Am, Orn. vol. 3, p. 33. ed. 1st.) 
which was known to naturalists. 
