244 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



an active interest. She had what might be considered 

 an expert knowledge of the English language, and her 

 critical eye was most useful in reading the proofs of the 

 articles, and seeing that their ideas were clearly and lucidly 

 expressed. My father used jocularly to tell her that he 

 regarded her as the 'Average Intellect,' and that when 

 everything was clear to her, he took it for granted that 

 it would be clear to the public at large. In addition to 

 the work mentioned above, he finally entered into a 

 similar arrangement with the New York Tribune, to 

 which he furnished a scientific column. 



"In a short time after he began his relationship with 

 Harper & Brothers, they decided to publish an annual 

 volume, 'The Annual Record of Science and Industry,' 

 covering for the year the range of subjects which had 

 been treated in the columns of their periodicals. I believe 

 that this was not a mere reprint; but that in many cases, 

 articles were re-written, and in some instances, entirely 

 new matter was introduced. It is possible also that some 

 articles thought suitable for the more ephemeral publi- 

 cations, were not thought of importance enough to appear 

 in book form. This Annual Record was published every 

 year from 1871 to 1877, when it was discontinued. 



"The years in which this work was carried on, and 

 after the Fish Commission work was begun, were a period 

 of tremendous industry; his work in the Museum and 

 that of the Smithsonian being in themselves sufficient to 

 occupy the time of one man. After a time the Harpers 

 decided that the interest in scientific matter was not 

 sufficient to warrant them to go to the great expense 

 incurred by the elaborate way in which it had been 

 attempted, and although the record in its various forms 

 was interesting and of great importance to a number of 



