138 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



not in my collection. It is my intention to monograph most of our 

 sub-families from time to time with outline drawings of the generic 

 and specific parts which cannot well be described; as the shape of 

 the bill, feet, wing and tail. Those at present underway are Tyran- 

 ninae, Tyrannus, Ptilogonys, Sylvicolinae, Falconinae, &c. For this 

 I possess very extensive materials as far as North American species 

 go, but to make the work complete, the difference between each one 

 and any closely allied Foreign species must be clearly ascertained 

 and pointed out, and for this a very large collection is necessary. 

 I am afraid, however, that it will be some time before your 

 materials will be available; the mere putting in order of so many 

 birds will require a great deal of time, and when to this you add the 

 labor of labelling each specimen and determining the unknown 

 species, and of intercalating those which maybe procured hereafter, 

 it will probably be found that a period of several years will be required. 

 Besides, there are very few persons in this country who are capable 

 of doing all this in a scientific manner such as Tschudi, a de Wied, 

 a Lichtenstein, or a Sundevall (not English or French) would respect. 

 It is not something to be taken up in a day; not to be contracted 

 for, as one would to mend a turnpike or pull down a house; these 

 things men could be hired to do; that must be attended to by science 

 alone. It requires years of study, combined with great natural 

 aptitude and ability, to be equal to such a task. I know of but one 

 individual in the country, and I believe I am well acquainted with 

 all the Ornithologists, who is at all capable of doing what is neces- 

 sary. This is Mr. John Cassin of Philadelphia. Years ago, when 

 I first commenced the study of Ornithology, I found him well versed 

 in it, and now he is the only person I have yet seen who knows 

 foreign specimens as well as American. Familiar with the use of 

 ornithological books, and there are few here now who are so, he is 

 in every way competent to continue on a large scale what he has 

 been doing for many years on a smaller. You will, I hope, pardon 

 me, dear Sir, for saying that it would be of the highest importance 

 to the interests of science to secure his services, if not for permanency, 

 for a few years at least. I can say in the plainest terms that no one 

 else in the United States is at all fit to be employed about it. The 

 collector of specimens is not necessarily an ornithologist; he may 

 know the names of a great many birds, and yet be deficient in true 



