Produced by Melissa McDaniel, Ted Garvin and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Transcriber's Note: Obvious typographical errors in the editor's text have been corrected. Inconsistent or incorrect accents, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation in the original documents and quotes were left as printed. Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. The following apparent spelling inconsistencies were left as printed: Father Stanilaus and Stanislaus Trumbull and Trumball Gwathway's and Gnathway's Hotel Geoffroy and Geoffrey Saint-Hilaire. On page 59, March 1749 is an apparent error. On page 69, alcade should perhaps be alcalde. On page 370, "as John as concluded" is a possible printer's error. On page 371, "I now collecting Letters" is a possible printer's error. On page 372, "as never reachd thee" is a possible printer's error. In footnote 23, "Formon" is the spelling used in the letter printed in this volume. AUDUBON THE NATURALIST [Illustration: John J. Audubon AFTER THE RARE ENGRAVING BY C. TURNER, A.R.A., OF THE MINIATURE PAINTED BY FREDERICK CRUIKSHANK, ABOUT 1831; PUBLISHED FOR THE ENGRAVER BY ROBERT HAVELL, LONDON, 1835.] AUDUBON THE NATURALIST A HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND TIME BY FRANCIS HOBART HERRICK, Ph.D., Sc.D. PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY IN WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, AUTHOR OF "THE HOME LIFE OF WILD BIRDS," ETC. IN TWO VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED [Illustration] VOLUME I D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YORK LONDON 1917 COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY D. APPLETON AND COMPANY Printed in the United States of America TO ELIZABETH MY SISTER PREFACE The origin of the gifted ornithologist, animal painter, and writer, known to the world as John James Audubon, has remained a mystery up to the present time. In now lifting the veil which was cast over his early existence, I feel that I serve the cause of historical truth; at the same time it is possible to do fuller justice to all most intimately concerned with the story of his life and accomplishments.