SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 527 



hastened to the Museum, for he had already become 

 much interested in Semitic ethnology and expected to 

 make it the chief study of his life. Professor Baird 

 received him most cordially, and placing his hand on 

 his shoulder said, "These things have been waiting for 

 you for six months." So they were unpacked and set 

 out where they could be seen ; Professor Henry came in, 

 and the three went .over them carefully, the young man 

 explaining them as well as he could in the light of his 

 studies. When it was all over and Mr. Mason was 

 about to go, Baird turned to him and said, "Now I want 

 you to give all this up." While the young man almost 

 gasped in astonishment, Baird continued: "If you 

 devote your life to such a subject as this, you will have 

 to take the leavings of European workers. It will not 

 be possible for you here in America to obtain the ma- 

 terial for important researches ; but - - I give you the two 

 Americas!' Dr. Mason, telling the story when an old 

 and distinguished man, said, "I was born again that 

 day." 



9. In the meanwhile Baird undertook gigantic Monographs 

 researches of his own. His activities covered the whole on ^ mencan 



zoology 



field of North American vertebrate life. As early as 

 1857 he published a great work of over Soo pages on the 

 American mammals, and a year later a still larger 

 monograph on the birds. So great was his influence 

 on American ornithology that Dr. Coues, writing on 

 the history of the subject, sets aside a period of almost 

 thirty years as the "Bairdian Period." Not only was 

 Baird's work influential in his own country, but across 

 the water, in Europe, men took note of his exact 

 methods and followed them. As the Museum grew, Secretaryof 

 executive duties became heavier and more numerous ; 

 and in 1878, when Professor Henry died, Baird became 



soman 



