42 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



the study of law, and soon had an extensive practice, giving 

 up his natural history work in order to devote himself to 

 his profession, but always retaining an interest in it. 



Professor Baird always expressed a very high opinion 

 of his brother's ability as an ornithologist, saying that 

 if he had kept on he would have taken high rank among 

 the students of that branch of science. He became 

 interested in politics and was Mayor of Reading in 

 1855-6, and Collector of Internal Revenue for the 8th 

 district of Pennsylvania 1869-72. He died at the age 

 of fifty-five in 1872, leaving a widow and two children. 



This seems a not unsuitable place to include a brief 

 notice of Professor Baird's other brothers and sisters. 



The second brother Samuel studied law but never 

 practised. For a short time he taught school and after- 

 ward for quite a number of years was connected with the 

 United States Customs service at Philadelphia. His 

 health was always delicate and he died unmarried. 



The youngest brother Thomas had a strong taste for 

 mechanics and devoted himself to mechanical and factory 

 work. He married Miss Mary Bill and died in 1897, 

 leaving two sons and two daughters. 



The two older sisters, Rebecca and Lydia, never 

 married. The youngest, Mary, married Henry J. Biddle 

 of Philadelphia. At the outbreak of the Civil War he 

 joined the army, and while on duty as a member of General 

 McCall's staff was wounded and taken prisoner in one 

 of the battles before Richmond, and died in a hospital 

 in that city. They had five children. 



Professor Baird's diary was not begun before 1838 

 and as before mentioned was at first little more than a 

 meteorological record. By the following year, however, 

 itlbegan to be also a register of birds shot and excursions 



