ii2 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



So much[for Dr. Brewer, now for some other items. Last Friday 

 week Atken came to me & asked me to come to his shop to decide 

 a dispute he had with some one, about a small Fly up the creek he 

 had there. I went there & was rather surprised to see two Least 

 Bitterns. They had been killed shortly before in that marsh opposite 

 Slack's house at the Dam. I went out there next morning, and in 

 an hour had four of them, 3 males. Not being satisfied with these, 

 I went out again on Monday & got four more, all females. I probably 

 could have got more, but I began to be ashamed of murdering them 

 so. They were the tamest birds I ever saw. I caught one uninjured, 

 & Nep 4 another. I have no doubt there are more out there, perhaps 

 they will breed. The females had eggs as large as peas in their ovary. 

 The same Saturday, I stuffed a Loon which I bought from a Black 

 boy for two cents. This was a male, just changing from young 

 plumage to old & very curious. 



I am glad you got the birds you did in Philadelphia. Mrs. 

 Alexander's not having arrived yet, I have not seen them. Brewer's 

 box has not reached this yet, though it is in Philadelphia. He says 

 there is a Mealy Redpoll in it, and that he thinks the Guillemot is 

 Brunnich's. I will send the birds you bargained for to those Phila- 

 delphia fellows as soon as I can. In some instances I will have to 

 send others in place of those you mention as we have not got them 

 to spare. 



How did you make out with your Butcher bird & the Reading 

 Museum, & what sort of a collection have they of birds, &c. I hope 

 you keep your eyes about you for the capture of any thing valuable. 

 Don't forget about getting birds eggs of all species, as we ought to 

 have a collection of them ourselves. I forgot to say that Brewer 

 told me that Kimball had a Cinereous owl, with but one wing, 

 otherwise in good condition which he will exchange for almost any 

 thing. Brewer is going to make him hold on to it for us. 



The number of birds stuffed amounts now to 1568. I could not 

 do much while Brewer was here, & it is getting late in the season. 

 I think I will go over to see Haldeman before long, I may get some- 

 thing valuable from that Museum man there. Write soon tell me 

 all the news. I had almost forgotten to say that Dr. Morris' book 

 arrived safely the day you left, and seems well worth having. I 



4 His dog Neptune. 



