392 SPENCER FULLERTON EARID 



ill a large part of the time. Professor Baird's sister Lydia 

 died October 3Oth at Carlisle, and his old friend and col- 

 laborator at the Institution, Fielding B. Meek, the paleon- 

 tologist, on the 2 ist of December. Professor Baird notes 

 in the Journal that in September he was obliged to put 

 on spectacles for the first time. He was vigorously en- 

 gaged in his plans for a new building for the Museum, now 

 outgrowing rapidly all the capacity of the Smithsonian 

 structure. 



In 1877 the work on architectural plans was progress- 

 ing. At first it was proposed to extend the Smithsonian 

 building either to the south, connected by an arch over 

 the roadway bordering the original building, or to the 

 west by cloisters extending from that end. Meanwhile 

 the old Armory building in the Mall east of the Smith- 

 sonian was utilized to hold the carloads of valuable 

 material bought from or donated by the exhibitors at 

 Philadelphia. 



The natural result of these activities was a physical 

 condition urgently demanding rest. On the I5th of March 

 he started for Florida, travelling with Senator Edmunds 

 and his family. 



Even the fact that it was supposed to be a period of 

 rest did not prevent every accessible fisherman or fishing 

 station from being studied on the way. They returned 

 refreshed, April 4th, to Washington. The Fish Commis- 

 sion station this year was fixed at Gloucester, Massa- 

 chusetts, the steamer "Speedwell" being assigned to the 

 party for use during the season. In midsummer he was 

 required to go as an expert witness to Halifax, Nova 

 Scotia, where an arbitration of questions relating to 

 fisheries between the United States and Great Britain 

 was to be held. The "Speedwell" and some of the Fish 



