358 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



In February, 1863, Professor Louis Agassiz was elected 

 one of the Board of Regents, visited Washington and 

 under the guidance of Baird was familiarized with the 

 workings of the Institution. 



During these last years (and as it turned out for many 

 years later) the Professor was much assisted by an intelli- 

 gent and trustworthy colored man, Solomon G. Brown, 

 and references to Solomon appear frequently in the 

 Journal. For faithful service of long duration his name 

 should be recorded. He became a leader among his 

 people in the colored colony, Hillsdale, across the Ana- 

 costia river, and died much regretted at an advanced age. 



Mrs. Baird's health continued to be very precarious. 



The following letter from Kennicott to one of his 

 northern allies of the Hudson Bay Company illustrates 

 the temperament of the writer and the character of his 

 plans: 



From Robert Kennicott to R. McFarlane. 



WASHINGTON, D. C., April 29, 1863. 

 MY DEAR MACFARLANE: 



What the do you and Lockhart mean? Golden eagles' 



eggs! quoth he? Rock ptarmigans and eggs! Golden plover's eggs! 

 Somateria V-nigra! Now just draw it a little more mild can't you? 

 Where are you coming to do you think at that rate? 



Eggs of Plectrophanes pictus and lapponicus you seem to think 

 no great shells of. 



Until I saw your and Lockhart's registers I was always regretting 

 that I had not staid longer at the North. Now, while I regret the 

 lost fun, I console myself by the thought that so far as the interests 

 of science are concerned you have done all that I could. The depreca- 

 tory tone in which you and Lockhart announce an ornithological and 

 oological collection superior to all that Ross and all of us had gotten 

 before, is quite ludicrous. If you call such collections poor I'd mightily 

 like to see what you call good! 



