You ask if I draw Birds yet, with a view to publish. My answer is that I dissect, describe, and draw Birds, Quadrupeds, whales, reptiles, and fishes, with view of astonishing the world, and bettering my condition. I have about a hundred drawings, all the size of life, excepting two dolphins. But I have determined nothing as yet respecting publication. Some time ago a friend of mine called on Mr. Havell with a letter in which I desired that person to engrave for me a few of my drawings, for the purpose of being exhibited at the meeting of naturalists. I had no answer, and so Mr. Havell may go to Jerico, or elsewhere, as he lists; but further your correspondent saith not. I am decidedly of opinion that, although you should continue the publication of the Ornithological Biography, you might bring out various other works which could not fail to be popular; for example a biography of yourself, and sketches of American scenery. But of these matters it is impossible to speak to purpose unless I had the pleasure of seeing you, a pleasure which I hope I shall have at the time of the general assembly of the naturalists. With best respects to Mrs. Audubon, and best wishes for the prosperity of all that bear that name, I have the honour to be, Dear Sir, yours in sincerity, W MACGILLIVRAY. [Superscribed] JOHN J. AUDUBON, ESQR. MR. HAVELL, 77 Oxford St. London. [Illustration: AUDUBON AFTER THE ENGRAVING BY H. B. HALL OF THE PORTRAIT PAINTED BY HENRY INMAN IN 1833.] A satisfactory arrangement was made and MacGillivray set to work on Audubon's second volume. On the 16th of June he wrote from Edinburgh: If you send me twenty or twenty-five articles, I can revise them without the books to which you refer, and without your own presence, provided your descriptions be full, and the drawings or plates sent to me. The skins and books might be consulted afterwards, when we might go over the articles in company. Should you come here for the purpose, it would not, I believe, be necessary for you to stay more than three weeks or so.... To be methodical I should like twenty-five birds, that is description of birds, by your first parcel; but I cannot state precisely at what time they might be revised, only I think were you to send them, you might make a trip to France and be back before I should be done.[120] By the 9th of July MacGillivray had received the twenty-five descriptions of birds called for, and on the 18th of that month he wrote to report progress as follows: