eated itself on his shoulder, and played a
thousand tricks to express the joy it felt on seeing him again. Every
one was astonished, and wished to have it. The major, to terminate the
dispute, carried it away, gave it to his wife, who had a light cage made
for it; but the mouse refused to eat, and a few days after was found
dead."[173]

ALEXANDER WILSON AND THE MOUSE.

About the time when Alexander Wilson formed the design of drawing the
American birds, and writing those descriptions which, when published,
gave him that name which has clung to him, "_the American
Ornithologist_" he had a school within a few miles of Philadelphia. He
was then a keen student of the animal life around him. In 1802 he wrote
to his friend Bertram, and tells him of his having had "live crows,
hawks, and owls; opossums, squirrels, snakes, lizards," &c. He tells him
that his room sometimes reminded him of Noah's ark, and comically adds,
"but Noah had a wife in one corner 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 fivepenny _bits_, 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
don't 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 the same evening, and all the while the
pantings of its little heart showed it to be in the most extreme agonies
of fear. I had intended to kill it, in order to fix it in the claws of a
stuffed owl; but, happening to spill a few drops of water near where it
was tied, it lapped it up with such eagerness, and looked in my face
with such an eye of supplicating terror, as perfectly overcame me. I
immediately restored it to life and liberty. The agonies of a prisoner
at the stake, while the fire and instruments of torture are preparing,
could not be more severe than the sufferings of that poor mouse; and,
insignificant as the object was, I felt at that moment the sweet
sensation that mercy leaves in the mind when she triumphs over
cruelty."[174]

FOOTNOTES:

[163] "The Life of General Sir Howard Douglas, Bart., G.C.B., F.R.S.,
D.C.L., from his Notes, Conversations,