50 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



relatives, he began to read in medicine with Robert 

 Maccoun, beginning with "Dunglison's Medical Student" 

 as a textbook. He was apparently (from the journal) 

 taking more time for recreation than formerly, especially 

 in the evening, nearly every day's entries showing visits, 

 small parties, attendance at the meetings of the "Belles- 

 lettres Society," and the "Reading Society." He also 

 borrowed many books and copied the descriptions and 

 plates of such as he thought would be useful to him in 

 his studies. Between March ist and August ist he 

 walked 565 miles and on the 8th of September walked 

 from Carlisle to Harrisburg and back, about 40 miles, to 

 get and return books from the State library. He also began 

 collecting fossils and fresh water mussels, part of which he 

 sent to Dr. Isaac Lea 11 in Philadelphia, who was already 

 at that time a recognized authority on such matters. 



During all these occupations his correspondence with 

 his brother William was kept up and the (for that time) 

 generous salary which the latter received as a clerk in 

 the Treasury at Washington made it possible for the 

 brothers to add to their collection of birds by an occa- 

 sional purchase, and more liberal supplies of powder and 

 shot. As an illustration of his activities Spencer's letters 

 to his brother about this time are particularly interesting. 



From Spencer F. Baird at Carlisle to William M. Baird at Washington. 



CARLISLE June i6 th 1841. 

 DEAR WILL, 



Your letter came safely yesterday and though Mother said it 

 was not worth reading yet I found it very interesting, I walked up 

 to M'Clure's Gap yesterday, and killed two more Heterodon snakes. 



11 Isaac Lea, LL.D., born in Wilmington, Delaware, March 4, 

 1792, died in Philadelphia, Dec. 8, 1886. He was the most eminent 

 student of the fresh water mussels and made valuable contributions 

 to Eocene Paleontology. 



