VIII 



1 865 TO 1878 



IN 1863 the National Academy of Sciences was incor- 

 porated by Congress, to consist of fifty members and 

 to have as one of its functions an advisory capacity 

 to the Government on scientific questions. In the fol- 

 lowing year, after the organization was completed, Baird 

 was elected a member. He was already a member, or an 

 honorary member, of a multitude of societies, domestic 

 and foreign. 



But a certain shyness, together with his extreme 

 modesty, operated to prevent him from taking much part 

 in the meetings of the Washington societies. On the 

 rare occasions when he read a paper or addressed the 

 meeting, it was quietly and well done; no hesitation or 

 embarrassment being visible. 



But he was wont to say, that, what with his gen- 

 erally overtaxed condition and the close atmosphere of 

 most auditoriums, he found it almost impossible to keep 

 awake at the meetings, and disliked extremely to show 

 apparent discourtesy to the speakers by this mortifying 

 weakness. 



In 1865 the Smithsonian library, in accordance with 

 Professor Henry's principle that the Institution should 

 as far as possible do the things worth doing but which 

 no one else is able or willing to do, and eliminate as far 

 as possible all functions which can as well be performed 

 by other willing agencies, was with the consent of Con- 

 gress deposited in the Library of Congress. Professor 

 384 



