CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 75 



From William M. Baird to S. F. Baird. 



WASHINGTON, February 1st, 1842. 



The National Institute collection is increasing in the most 

 wonderful manner; donations of every description are daily pouring 

 in. Townsend 25 buys up everything worth having to be found in 

 the market, and mounts them in the most splendid manner. There 

 are about 450 species of birds mounted (besides those of the Exploring 

 expedition, which have not been set up, to the number of some 

 hundreds probably) of these in the neighborhood of 180 are North 

 American. Quadrupeds are about fifty in number, among the rest 

 a fine South American jaguar. There is also in the collection a small 

 lynx, which is supposed to be our common species. It is, however, 

 gray, with stripes almost as regular and distinct as those of a tiger. 

 It seems also to be much lighter in the body than the common wild- 

 cat. All that is known as to where it came from is that it was pre- 

 sented by the proprietor of a small museum, who bought it of a man 

 who knew nothing about it. The collection of Crustacea is said to 

 be the largest in the United States. The number of shrimps crabs, 

 lobsters, etc., is immense. The collection of reptiles and fish, which 

 are principally from the Exploring expedition is also large, but they 

 are so mixed up together in the bottles that there is very little satis- 

 faction in looking at them. The cabinet of animals is very fine and 

 there is a good collection of geological specimens. Besides these 

 are many things too numerous to mention: skulls, mummies, coins, etc. 



I have arrived at the same conclusion as yourself, that arsenical 

 soap is not the best thing for preserving skins. Those put up with 

 the powder look a great deal better and are much less trouble, even 

 if the soap were as efficacious. At the end of this letter I will give 



25 John Kirk Townsend, born in Philadelphia, Oct. 10, 1809, died 

 in Washington, Feb. 6, 1851. An associate of Audubon, a student 

 and explorer, connected with the staff of the National Institute in 

 1842, and highly regarded by naturalists of his day. 



