134 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



a stranger as peculiar, streets very intricate. Many 

 cul-de-sacs. Drays of peculiar shape. Scrapers at doors 

 have brushes on the sides to clean the edges of boots. 

 Some Doctors have speaking tubes from their front doors 

 to their sleeping apartments, in order that they may be 

 called without disturbing any one else. Granite is much 

 used in building houses and abundantly for posts and 

 fences." 



This glimpse of Boston in the forties of the last century 

 has its interest. 



On April i6th he left Boston for New Haven, stopping 

 overnight at Springfield. He notes that the railroad 

 between Hartford and New Haven "is wooden, with 

 iron bar rails 13/16 inches thick laid on southern pine 

 six inches square and about 20 feet long. Costs about 

 $25.00 per 1000 feet. The wood is replaced about every 

 three years. Road very good. Few or no accidents." 



After reaching New Haven he called on Professor 

 Silliman, the elder, and found Dana and the younger 

 Silliman there. He was able to consult Oken's his and 

 other desired books, and visited the University library 

 and the cabinet of minerals, then the finest in the country, 

 with Dana and Silliman, Junior. 



Then to the steamer for New York, noting quantities 

 of ducks, a cormorant, a few brant and a loon, in the 

 water as they passed into the Sound. 



On returning to Mr. Audubon's the latter desired 

 him to accept any birds he might choose from the Audu- 

 bon collection. In regard to this transaction Miss Lucy 

 Baird has noted as follows in her reminiscences: 



"I have often heard my father say that Mr. Audubon 

 finding him inclined to be modest in selecting from the 

 collection only such birds as he thought Mr. Audubon 



