In August 1833, American artist and adventurer John James Audubon came ashore near Pictou, Nova Scotia, on his way home from three months exploring the Labrador coast–part of the ongoing research for his famous multivolume work, The Birds of America. Audubon spent eight days touring the province, visiting with local people (like the naturalist Thomas McCulloch) and collecting specimens, recording a wide range of observations in his journal. These journal entries provide context to one of Audubon’s important scientific relationships, as well as insights into life and travel in colonial Nova Scotia. The text is introduced and extensively annotated by Eric L. Mills, with original illustrations by Wesley Bates.

Eric L. Mills is a professor emeritus in the Department of Oceanography at Dalhousie University and former director of the History of Science and Technology Program at the University of King’s College. He is the winner of the Jehuda Neumann Memorial Prize for the History of Meteorology and Physical Oceanography from the Royal Meteorological Society.

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