I hope you know me well enough to write to me your ideas without fearing any offence done us should you find it either disagreeable or inconvenient, indeed this is simply to know from you if such a thing is at all likely to be advantageous to all parties.—We leave this on Saturday for Leeds and I will be glad to hear from you then—I have a confounded steel pen that scratches abominably.—Present Mrs Audubon's kind regards to your good Lady & accept Yourself our united good wishes, your friend JOHN J. AUDUBON. Address to the care of THOS FOWLER Esq. Bookseller Aug 22nd 1830 Manchester. [Superscribed] WM SWAINSON Esq. Tittenhanger Green Nr St Albans, Herts. In Swainson's clear and candid reply,[96] which followed at once, all was figured "to a nicety"; he would supply his share of the matter at the rate of three dollars and seventy-eight cents per printed page, with an extra charge for corrections; he would follow his own ideas, but strive to avoid any conflict of opinion, and would expect his name to stand on the title. _William Swainson to Audubon_ [between _August 24 and 28, 1830_] Thursday MY DEAR MR. AUDUBON. I received your letter yesterday, and hasten to reply to it. By some mistake or other, of Havell's, he has not sent the birds to which you allude, and I did not of course know that you had left them with him, now to your two propositions. First, as to boarding with us, you do not know probably, that this is never done in England, except as a matter of necessity or profession, in which case the domestic establishment is framed accordingly. But this consideration would have no influence with me, in _your_ case did other circumstances allow of it. It would however be attended with so many changes in our every-day domestic arrangements, that it becomes impossible. Secondly, as to the proposition I once made to you, I am fearful you have put it out of my power to do _so much_ as I _might_ have done, from your having distributed the very birds which would have been the materials I was to work upon; and upon which only, any scientific observations truly original, (& therefore _worth_ putting into your book), must be founded. Fortunately, however, my own collection is not poor in North American Specimens, and these would still furnish a mass of interesting information to _the Scientific_. It would be, however, highly advisable that all these species which I have not, but which you have brought home, and given away, should be borrowed back again, without delay.