1 68 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



Our present expectation is that we shall be at home from the last 

 of July to the 2oth of August, and, of course, at Commencement, and 

 in that case it will give us much pleasure to renew our friendly inter- 

 course with you, and to make the acquaintance of 'your husband, 

 if, indeed, we may not claim to know him already, fit is, however, 

 possible that we may be absent during the months of July and 

 August, but if so, Mr. Baird will find my Library at his command, 

 though I fear it will offer little to aid him in his favorite pursuits. 

 Upon looking over my Northern books, I was disappointed to find 

 less than I had supposed on the subject of Northern ornithology, 

 (so little, indeed, that I thought it hardly worth while to put Mr. B. 

 to the expense of carriage of several bulky tomes, which would scarcely 

 contain the two grains of wheat he seeks in the two bushels of chaff); 

 though I have several works on other branches of Natural History 

 in the Scandinavian tongues, and some of a more general character, 

 embracing something of ornithological learning. Among these is 

 the Transactions of the Royal Swedish Acad. of Science from 1737 

 to 1837 in 100 Vols. which contains a good deal of Natural History 

 as well as other matter. If I am at home, as I hope to be, during 

 your visit, I shall be happy to aid Mr. B. in the way of translation, 

 if he has not already mastered the modern languages. 



* 



From Geo. P. Marsh to Spencer F. Baird. 



BURLINGTON, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 1847. 

 DEAR SIR, 



I have delayed writing to you in the hope that I might still be 

 able to start on Thursday, but I fear I have now no reason to hope 

 that that will be practical. There would be an advantage in going 

 as far as Montpelier on Friday, which would make the journey easier 

 to the ladies, and if agreeable to you we will make that arrangement. 

 In that case we reach Woodstock on Saturday evening and Boston 

 on Monday. 



I wrote to the proprietors of the Tremont House to secure 

 lodgings for Mrs. M. and myself and added that I supposed you and 

 Mrs. B. would be of our party, but as I was not sure that you would 

 not stop a day at Springfield, and so be detained until Tuesday, 

 I did not desire them to reserve rooms, but said I thought you would 

 write. 



