272 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



put up by his own hands. During the summer he travelled 

 considerably. Owing to an epidemic of cholera, the 

 Cincinnati meeting of the American Association (with 

 many other meetings) was not held, leaving him relatively 

 free. He made a long journey through New England and 

 visited Professor Agassiz. During his travels, as usual, 

 he made large collections especially of fishes. At Concord 

 he called on R. W. Emerson and met H. D. Thoreau. On 

 his return to Washington in November, Dr. William 

 Stimpson, who was to accompany the Ringgold and 

 Rodgers North Pacific Exploring Expedition, reported for 

 duty at the Smithsonian. The latter part of the year he 

 was busy with the study of American snakes and 

 batrachia. 



S. F. Baird to George P. Marsh at Constantinople. 



WASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 1852. 

 MY DEAR MR. MARSH: 



Do not measure my affection by the length of the epistles I 

 write, but inversely. If I had a dozen hands, I would keep one going 

 all the time in writing news to you, but I haven't, and so I must be 

 content with one every month. My business here is such an unvary- 

 ing round of the same thing that I never have anything novel to 

 communicate, and I never could tell of the affairs of other people. 

 We are getting along very well at the Institution, the Regents well 

 satisfied and I think quite proud of us. The departure of Mr. Hillard 

 was supplied by Mr. Meacham of Middlebury, Vt., whom I have 

 not yet seen as he has attended no meetings. The Board has been 

 in session for several weeks, and will probably meet half a dozen 

 times before finishing. I hope they will raise my salary to 2000 or 

 more. I am not very conceited, but I think that any one who rises 

 betimes, to the business of any body, and falls asleep at night over 

 its work averaging 12 hours a day constant employment in winter 

 and 15 in summer deserves more and earns more than from mere 



