76 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



you Townsend's receipt for preparing the powder, and which he 

 always uses. It is safe, while there is danger of pure arsenic injuring 

 the lungs. I have noticed a great many little points in Townsend's 

 manner of stuffing, which will be of great assistance to me when I 

 prepare any skins myself. I looked at his tools and will try to get 

 some like them. The value of proper instruments is very great in 

 the saving of time as well as the appearance of the skins. Townsend 

 can skin, stuff and sew up a bird, so as to make it look far superior 

 to any I have ever seen, in five minutes. 



From William M. Baird to S. F. Baird. 



WASHINGTON, November 23, 1842. 



There is a man named Naylor, an Englishman, engaged at the 

 Patent Office in making eyes. He seems to be well skilled in the 

 business and has enabled Townsend to put colored eyes into the 

 birds which wanted them. The collection of birds is growing very 

 fast and Townsend appears to be improving very much in the atti- 

 tudes in which he places them. 



From S. F. Baird to J. J. Audubon. 



WASHINGTON, July 27, 1842. 

 MY DEAR MR. AUDUBON: 



After making several unsuccessful efforts to get a second sight 

 of you, day before yesterday, I was obliged to give up the attempt 

 in despair. I went to the Capitol at half-past twelve and wandered 

 over the whole building, Library, Senate Chamber, & house, without 

 being able to see or hear anything of your excellency. In the evening 

 as in the morning I was again at Fuller's without avail went up 

 street, listened a while to the Circus music, came back you were 

 in bed. One thing I wanted to ask you about, was respecting your 

 proposed trip next Spring. In the first place the expense: the 

 Pennsylvanians have all been so much affected by the derangements 

 in the currency of our state, Stocks, Banks, c., that, where in former 

 years dollars were thrown away, cents are now carefully looked to. 

 Nothing could delight me more than to go, if I can afford it. Next, 



