THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 201 



should therefore be an astonishing vegetation in their intestines, 

 since nothing has passed along to break off the tender plants. 



You cannot think with what pleasure I read your account of 

 Entophyta. It is a great discovery and we are a great people. 



Perge modo, as you have begun. I shall look for the big paper 

 with much eagerness, send me some copies of the abstract; I can 

 well dispose of them to some pet German and English correspondent. 

 I am delighted that young America will now have an opportunity 

 of poking over the old bones which have long lain entombed in the 

 big room of the Philosophical Society. I have recently got some 

 fine things from the alluvium of the Susquehanna, horns of fossil 

 elk, teeth of bears, foxes, etc. I am in daily expectation of a large 

 lot. Would you like the stuffed skin of a Norwegian lynx, or an 

 Antilo-pe americana for the Academy? 



I wish I could come down to Philadelphia at Christmas. I 

 may, possibly, but think it doubtful. 



Very truly yours 



S. F BAIRD. 



After a visit to his publisher in New York Baird made 

 a flying visit to Washington for a conference with Pro- 

 fessor Henry, of whom he was a guest. By New Year's 

 eve he was again at home. 



It was by this time fairly well settled that when an 

 election by the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution took place, Baird would be selected as Assist- 

 ant Secretary in charge of the Museum which Congress 

 had prescribed as one of the functions of the Institution. 



Henry's idea that the collections should be made by 

 and be the sole property of the Smithsonian was doubtless 

 in order to avoid friction with government organizations 

 which had already made collections and would be unwill- 

 ing to part with them; and above all to avoid any trace 

 of political control in the conduct of the Smithsonian 

 trust. Thus since a Museum was prescribed by law in 

 its charter he was willing to expend a small portion of the 



