398 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 



Journal that it was a great relief to him. His interest in 

 the economic work of the Fish Commission was constantly 

 growing, and he endeavored by ocular demonstration of 

 the processes involved to interest Congress and officials 

 also. On the yth of June he again took President Hayes 

 and a large party to Havre de Grace, to see the shad 

 hatching operations of the Fish Commission station there 

 situated. General Walker, the Superintendent of the 

 coming census of 1880, enlisted his aid in organizing a 

 census of the fisheries industries of the country, in which 

 work Professor Goode was soon joined. Provincetown, 

 Massachusetts, was selected as the summer station for 

 the Commission. On the way there Baird was prostrated 

 for several days by an attack of nephritic colic of great 

 severity. The station was served by the steamer "Speed- 

 well." Work closed there September 3Oth, and by Octo- 

 ber 1 3th the party were back in Washington. 



January 23rd, 1880, Baird notes the death of "my 

 oldest friend and ally," Doctor Thomas M. Brewer, the 

 oologist of Boston. Professor J. D. Whitney, former 

 State Geologist of California, was completing the publi- 

 cation of his projected State Reports, at his own expense, 

 with the cooperation of Alexander Agassiz. Baird was 

 drawn into the work by their desire to have him prepare 

 the two projected volumes on the Land and Water Birds. 

 The work of directing the continually multiplying func- 

 tions of the Fish Commission having come to a point 

 where responsible cooperation was necessary, Major T. B. 

 Ferguson, formerly State Fish Commissioner of Maryland, 

 was appointed Assistant Commissioner of the National 

 organization. 



Congress appropriated a sufficient sum to enable the 

 Commission to be represented at the proposed Berlin, 



