IV 



THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 



ON the I9th of February, 1845, Baird proceeded to 

 New York and went to his relative Major Le Conte. 

 He found the streets almost impassable from the 

 deep snow. He met James Hall : and Frank Churchill, the 

 elder brother of Charles, came to see him. He visited 

 George N. Lawrence and examined his host's fine collec- 

 tion of birds. At Dr. Trudeau's he saw a splendid collec- 

 tion of birds' eggs and drawings of eggs. On the 24th 

 he went to visit the Audubons. 



The house was beautifully situated two miles beyond 

 Harlem on the bank of the Hudson river. He found 

 there Audubon and his wife and his two sons and their 

 wives. He enjoyed Audubon's fine ornithological library 

 and collection, and the pleasant walks of the vicinity. 

 On the 26th he returned to the city. A few days later 

 he revisited the Audubons and was told by Mr. Audubon 

 to select from his collection at Bell's taxidermist's estab- 

 lishment any duplicate birdskins he desired. He complied 

 with this generous offer and selected about forty species. 

 March yth he visited the printing office of Harper and 

 Brothers, and met there William Cullen Bryant, the poet 

 and editor. On the loth he returned to Philadelphia, 

 where his mother was visiting, and on the 2ist both left 

 the city for Carlisle. The train ran off the track near 

 Middletown and down an embankment, fortunately 

 without serious consequences to the passengers; and they 

 reached Carlisle late in the evening. Mrs. Churchill and 



1 State Geologist of New York and distinguished paleontologist. 



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