66 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



show to J. G. Bell, when met J. P. Giraud, with whom I went to see his col- 

 lection of birds, which is the finest I have seen. Gave him a Cape May warbler. 

 He gave me a Red Phalarope and a copy of his little tract called Descriptions 

 of 16 New Species of North American Birds from Texas. 



Wednesday. At Mr. Audubon's in morn for two hours, drawing. 



9th, Thursday. Thanksgiving Day. No lecture. In morn at Mr. 

 Audubon's, taking drawing lessons; started with Tyrannula. 



Although he took lessons from so great a master, he never became 

 very skilled with the pencil; largely, of course, because the pressure of 

 other work prevented him from spending much time in drawing. No 

 doubt, however, his knowledge of the minute structure of Tyrannula, 

 gained in the way just described, helped him to discriminate and 

 describe two new species a few years later. 



14th. Commenced drawing Cedar Bird at Mr. Audubon's. He is drawing 

 common rabbit. 



18th. Mr. Audubon gave me a copy of the letter press of his Biography of 

 Birds, five volumes, royal octavo. Obtained a number of rare American bird 

 skins from Peale, for which I am to send Helices, fossils, coins etc. 



28th, Thursday. Went down to the Thomas P. Cope Liverpool Packet to see 

 Mr. Nuttall, who is about starting for England. He has inherited an estate 

 of $5,000 per annum, at Prescott, near Liverpool. He invited me to come and 

 see him at it. 



Mr. Nuttall was, of course, the distinguished botanist and ornitholo- 

 gist. Circumstances never permitted the acceptance of the invitation. 

 Baird now went to Philadelphia for a short vacation : 



29th. Went with Mr. Woodhouse to Mr. John Cassin's. 



The veteran ornithologist Woodhouse only died recently. Cassin 

 became one of Baird's most intimate friends, sharing with him in the 

 interest of every ornithological discovery. The old colored man, Mr. 

 Solomon Brown, who faithfully assisted Baird during his whole life 

 in Washington, tells me that ' old John Cassin used to come down 

 from Philadelphia about once a month to look over the collection ; and 

 he and Baird were just like brothers.' 



To return, however, to the diary: 



30th. In morn at T. A. Conrad's. Saw a fine collection of Siberian fossils. 

 31st. Took tea with Dr. and Mrs. Marshall at Isaac Lea's. Saw his very 

 extensive collection of fossils and shells. 



This also was in Philadelphia. Conrad and Lea were the famous 

 conchologists, Lea being especially devoted to the freshwater mussels. 



Baird was certainly not one of those people who wait for opportuni- 

 ties to engage in research. He not only went everywhere and met 

 every naturalist within reach, and picked up all the information he 

 could from them and from books, but he was making discoveries on 

 his own account. Although he is known to us as a student of verte- 

 brate zoology, he took a keen interest in botany, anthropology and many 



