70 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



tion. In this and numerous other cases, Baird's success was due not to 

 any form of cunning, but rather to his straightforward simplicity and 

 manifestly unselfish devotion to his work. 



In Baird's first report as assistant secretary, published in 1851, he 

 called attention at some length to the important work needing to be 

 done in zoology, botany and geology. It was the declared policy of 

 the Smithsonian, at that time, not to attempt to cover the whole field of 

 science, but to attend to those subjects which had been neglected by 

 others. Very well, said Baird: accepting fully this plan, we must 

 point out that we lack information on — and he proceeded to specify in 

 detail the very numerous investigations crying out for workers, and 

 the splendid opportunities that lay before those who should take 

 them up. 



He was by no means content to work solely through official channels. 

 In every possible way he stirred up the enthusiasm of collectors, aided 

 those who desired to study and persuaded travelers to secure material 

 for the museum. When going through his letters of the year 1859, I 

 found evidence of his wonderful perseverance which is worth citing. 

 In March of that year he wished to send the well-known naturalist and 

 traveler, Robert Kennicott, to the region of the Hudson Bay for speci- 

 mens. The Smithsonian had absolutely no funds for such a purpose, 

 and with any ordinary official that would have settled the matter. Not 

 so with Baird; starting a subscription list with fifty dollars out of his 

 own pocket, he wrote to most of the prominent naturalists of that day, 

 asking them to subscribe what they could and receive a corresponding 

 part of the collections. The response was prompt and satisfactory, and 

 about $500, the amount asked by Baird, was raised. I have before me 

 a copy of the list of subscribers containing such well-known names as 

 those of Cassin, Brevoort, Lawrence, Ostensacken, Cresson and Lea. 

 The Smithsonian itself did finally put in $50, in addition to the sum 

 personally subscribed by Baird on its behalf. 



About the same time Baird wished to send John Xantus, a Hun- 

 garian resident in America, and a skilled naturalist, to the Uttle-known 

 peninsula of Lower California. It was evidently impracticable to raise 

 two five-hundred dollar subscriptions; but Xantus must go. It was 

 ascertained that the U. S. Coast Survey wished to send a man to that 

 region to examine the tides; why not Xantus? So it was readily 

 arranged, and off he went, furnished with all facilities for collecting 

 specimens. 



Thus, without any visible resource to begin with, two important 

 expeditions were despatched. Those who know something of the zool- 

 ogy of America do not need to be reminded of the great results accom- 

 plished in each case. It is hardly possible to open a work on any large 



