1850 TO 1865 339 



The collections were all left with Forbes and Babcock to be for- 

 warded in the usual way. They include yours as well as the doctor's. 



And though there is no special occasion for your being here now, 

 I hope you will take an opportunity to come on after the boxes arrive, 

 which will not be for a month, as they come by the Panama RR. 

 steamship line from Aspinwall. We can then talk all matters over 

 and a final arrangement made as to the Nat. History report. Dr. 

 Suckley writes that he would like to make the Nat. Hist, report if 

 he could be paid for it. Some arrangement of this kind would be an 

 excellent one, especially as he had already agreed with Dr. Kennedy 

 to do the Salmonidae. He might do all the other departments in 

 his line of Vertebrata, excepting the general run of fishes, which I 

 think Mr. Gill had better have. . . . Mr. P. P. Carpenter has 

 all the shells, which he will work out in a report; for these he ought 

 to have a couple of hundred dollars. There are also many other 

 marine invertebrates. The series of fish is very large and important. 

 All the matters connected with these things however we can talk 

 over when we meet. If any arrangement is made to have Dr. S. 

 take hold of the vertebrates, I would rather that you should arrange 

 it with the Commissioner, for fear of my coming in conflict with any- 

 body else on the subject. 



I would like very much to see Dr. Kennerly's notebook, as 

 there are some specimens here of which he has sent no memoranda. 

 I could then form some idea of the amount of biographical detail 

 to be made up respecting the animals collected. 



Dr. Torrey has all the Boundary Plants. You had better arrange 

 with him about the botanical and tree report to be made out between 

 you in New York. 



Dr. Newberry is here. He don't want to do anything with the 

 Mollusca and other animal fossils, but will be glad to undertake the 

 plants if any. Mr. Meek will be much the best one to do the fossil 

 animals. He will be back here in a month or two. 



Very truly yours, 



S. F. BAIRD. 



P. S. There are so many new and unfigured species of animals, 

 especially fishes and shells, that I hope plenty of money can be had 

 for illustrations. 



