218 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



I procured a great many interesting fish, many of them new or 

 very rare. Trout and White Fish I saw in any quantity, some of 

 the former weighing from 20 to 40 Ibs. The greatest treasures of the 

 summer, however, were embraced in 7 boxes of specimens collected 

 by Mr. Culbertson on the Upper Missouri. Among these were Skins, 

 Skeletons, and skulls of Elk, Buffalo, Grizzly Bear, Wolves, Antelope, 

 Deer, Beaver, Badger, Wolverene, &c. Best of all were some fossil 

 teeth, skulls and bones of vertebrate animals from the Mauvaise 

 Terres of the Platte. These were embedded in a calcareous marl 

 and belonged to genera allied to Tapir, Anoplotherium, Palaeotherium 

 & other extinct forms. Most are entirely new, all are completely 

 petrified, the cavities of the long bones being filled with quartz. 

 There are turtle shells over an inch thick, and I have three nearly 

 perfect, one weighing about 150 Ibs. These things of course belong 

 to the Smithsonian. The freight alone amounts to $68.00 and the 

 whole cost of getting will probably amount to $200.00. 



Have you been doing anything in the way of practising German 

 translating? You perhaps had better try an article and even if the 

 first efforts be not satisfactory, you will finally succeed. The trans- 

 lation must of course give all the facts accurately, and be in good 

 readable English. The first part is entitled Volkerkunde der Gegen- 

 stand and consists of notices of the manners and customs of all 

 modern nations with their various distinctive peculiarities. This 

 will make about 170 pages of English text. 



Next comes "Military Sciences," 180 pp. English. 



Next "Naval Sciences and Ship Building," 120 pp. 



Next "Architecture," 300 pp. 



Next "Mythology and Religions," 120 pp. 



Now which will you try? I think perhaps the first would be easiest, 

 but the question may arise as to your doing it in time. It may be 

 wanted in three or four months. Military Sciences you would find 

 very difficult, owing to the numerous technicalities. The same applies 

 to Naval Sciences and Architecture; the Mythology would be less 

 troublesome. On the whole I don't know but that you had better 

 try the first mentioned. 



How would you like to undertake making an index to the first 

 volume of Iconographic, taking in all up to Botany? There will have 



