1850 TO 1865 335 



and showed them how, by means of their collections, 

 their names would become known in the civilized world 

 and even printed in books, they seized on the project 

 with enthusiasm. 



It gave them a new object in their lives, with almost 

 unlimited possibilities of expansion, and time need no 

 longer be wasted in futilities. 



For more than ten years collections poured into 

 Washington from the North, until those who had been 

 inspired by Kennicott retired from active service. The 

 names of McFarlane, McDougal, Sibbeston, Ross, Donald 

 Gunn, and many others, were permanently inscribed on 

 the list of benefactors of science. 



This enthusiasm was naturally fostered by Professor 

 Baird, who wrote numerous letters, undertook all sorts 

 of commissions, sent numberless papers, pamphlets and 

 books, and in every way made himself the friend and 

 helper of these inhabitants of the wilderness. 



In 1859 Baird's work on the Pacific Railroad Reports 

 was nearly finished. The birds were printed. The 

 printing up to Volume X. included over 2,000 quarto 

 pages of original matter. 



The summer vacation was spent at Elizabethtown, 

 New York. Then comes another gap in the Journal from 

 February, 1859, to January, 1861. 



From Dr. Henry Bryant to Spencer F. Baird. 



BOSTON, Feb. 5th, 1860. 

 DEAR PROF, 



I am afraid Darwin in spite of your amiable wish is going to 

 make the dry bones rattle a little among the followers of the extreme 

 modern school of zoology. 



I do not believe the theory that animals of a different species are 

 derived from common parents and cannot, however plausible the 



