1850 TO 1865 305 



accompany packages, which themselves go in a box to your address, 

 through lasigi & Goddard. 



My exploring expeditions, too, are all off, which is a great relief. 

 I will try and send you an account of these in an article which I am 

 preparing for the meeting of the American Association at Cleveland, 

 July 28th. I have had in all no less than 19 to equip and fit out from 

 a natural history point of view. You ask who is to describe nonde- 

 scripts, and what is to be done with the things when they come in. 

 That is not my particular business now; my duty is to see that no 

 chances are lost of advancing science, leaving the future to take care 

 of itself. And indeed I expect the accumulation of a mass of matter 

 thus collected, (which the Institution cannot or will not "curate" 

 efficiently) to have the effect of forcing our government into estab- 

 lishing a National Museum, of which (let me whisper it) / hope to be 

 director. Still even if this argument don't weigh now; it will one of 

 these days and I am content to wait. 



Most of the expeditions have left in my hands, sums amounting 

 in the aggregate to nearly ten thousand dollars, to pay costly trans- 

 portation of specimens, and their preparation for publication. I can 

 thus have first-rate figures made of the different species, which will 

 supply a great desideratum. . 



Affectionately yours, 



S. F. BAIRD. 



From Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird. 



WASHINGTON, July 2, 1853. 

 DEAR WILL, 



I send by Adams Express prepaid, a box containing bird skins 

 which please label at your convenience. Use the nomenclature of 

 Audubon's Synopsis and put in reference to fig. & plates of the illus- 

 trations. Keep any of the specimens you choose even amounting to 

 a complete series. Please make out a list of all the specimens on a 

 separate piece of paper. 



I leave on Monday evening for Cleveland, and after remaining 

 a few days, go to Wisconsin. I return to Cleveland about July 26, 

 and remain ten days for the Meeting of the Association, then join 



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