344 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



I have no special Washington news to tell you. You have doubt- 

 less heard of the wonderful political doings in the United States. The 

 excitement was very great here, but is now subsiding, and I think 

 matters are likely to go on smoothly hereafter, for a while at least. 



Gill, Hayden, Newberry, Stimpson and Woodworth are here 

 together, and we have quite lively scientific times. Several Cambridge 

 and Phila. naturalists have also been here much of the winter. The 

 Misses Turner are well, Miss Jane still our librarian. Prof. Henry's 

 family much as usual. 



Donald Gunn has offered to make an egg excursion through Lake 

 Winnipeg for his expenses, about $50.00. I think I can raise the 

 money for it. We have large collections from Mr. Xantus at Cape 

 St. Lucas. The last boxes received made the number up to 52, and 

 about 6000 lots of specimens. The greater part of these of course 

 were marine. 



As a preliminary course of training for this letter, I have first 

 read over all your letters from the beginning at Toronto, so as to 

 see whether I had overlooked anything. This took me about five 

 hours continuously, no small operation. The worst of it is that I am 

 in consequence like the man who wanted to jump over the mountain. 

 He started to run, at a distance proportioned to the height to be 

 accomplished, and when he reached the foot, he had to sit down to 

 rest! 



Please make the application! This is to be an excuse for any 

 errors or shortcomings. 



I wrote by winter packet in regard to your prolonged stay, 

 referring the whole matter to yourself. Half a dozen years will not 

 exhaust the country, certainly not three or four; and as long as you 

 are satisfied to remain, and can do it without distressing your family, 

 I will be very glad to have you. I have little fear of not finding 

 funds to keep you going, especially as after this season there will 

 be little expense of outfit from here. The Yukon and Anderson egging 

 seasons will give great results. So will the season at Halkett or 

 Donnegan (the farther southwest the better). Ft. Churchill is I 

 think an important point to occupy; but you can hardly manage that, 

 too. 



I have not yet got in subscriptions for the season, but think we 

 can place $800.00 cash in the company's hands to your credit; perhaps 

 more. 



