308 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



of all the species which may exist within your range. You need not 

 any reiterated directions to keep the specimens from different locali- 

 ties distinct: this is the only classification necessary, however. The 

 greater the number of localities, the greater, of course, the interest, 

 and complete collections to include all the species for each locality 

 will be exceedingly important. Look sharp for the little darters 

 among the stones in shallow ripples. . . . Cannot you make 

 some collections in Chicago River, near its mouth? I know this is 

 not a very good time for fish, and expect to wait for most until next 

 spring. Don't forget to pick up all the snakes, lizards, and frogs 

 you come across and throw them into the keg. I need not repeat 

 that we shall expect to refund any expenditure for alcohol, kegs, and 

 so forth. 



Sincerely yours, 



S. F. BAIRD. 



From Spencer F. Baird to Dr. P. R. Hoy, Racine, Wisconsin. 



October 10, 1853. 

 MY DEAR RADICICOLA: 



I have had your acceptable letter of Sept. 29 in hand several 

 days, but have not had time to answer it sooner. I have only been 

 back about ten days, and have almost hourly intended to write you 

 on account of adventure since our delightful partnership in Wisconsin. 

 If I mistake not, you already know of our movements up to my 

 departure east: how we went to the meeting of the scientific "asses" 

 in Cleveland: how I went to Elyria alone, or rather with Prof. 

 Andrews and caught prodigious stores of Etheostomas: and returning 

 nabbed Dr. Kirtland and posted to Poland, where in one day we 

 caught 41 species. How next we went to Detroit and in company 

 with our friend Rev. Chas. Fox made extensive rambles through 

 Michigan, visited Ann Arbor, Lake Huron, and divers other spots, 

 all the time longing for company of yourself and Doctor Barry (he 

 will have the degree one of these days, and I will give it now). 



Well then, after leaving Cleveland I went east, stopping a day 

 or two at Syracuse to see what fish inhabited the salt marshes below 

 the salt works. I found nothing interesting but mosquitoes, which 



