72 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



In March, 1857, he writes to Dr. F. Brandt, of St. Petersburg, rela- 

 tive to an exchange of specimens desired by the St. Petersburg Academy. 

 After dealing with the matter of the exchange, Baird writes: 



In the enormous activity of the parties in connection or correspondence 

 with the Smithsonian Institution, the number of species of North American 

 Vertebrata has increased very largely in the last few years. Thus while Dr. 

 Holbrook's work on our reptiles enumerated about 160 species of North Ameri- 

 can reptiles, we already possess nearly 400. Of fishes Dr. Girard described a 

 few months ago about 50 species of Cyprinidffi alone from the region west of 

 the Mississippi. We have nearly 200 species of birds not mentioned by Audubon, 

 while of quadrupeds I have already determined about 60 species not given by 

 Audubon and Bachman. It is here indeed that our collections show best, the 

 addition having been at the rate of 1,000 per year for two years, not counting 

 the small species in alcohol. The additional species embrace about 12 sorices, 

 one Urotrichus, many Spermophiles, and squirrels, species of Ursus, Felis, 

 Cervus, Taxidea, etc. Of every North American mammal we possess one or 

 more skulls, except of Enhydris marina, Capera montana, Gulo luscus and Ovibos 

 moschatus ; the first and third of these we expect in a few months. 5 



No expedition was allowed to start out under government auspices 

 without one of Baird's missionaries, as he called them, or, if that was 

 impracticable, some one of the party being equipped with the apparatus 

 for collecting and preserving specimens. Even John Howard Payne, 

 the author of ' Home, Sweet Home/ when he went to take up his duties 

 as consul, was supplied with copper tanks, alcohol and dip nets, with 

 which he faithfully promised to secure a collection of Tunisian fish. 



Every effort was made to enlist the services of occasional correspond- 

 ents who wrote to the Smithsonian for information. A letter giving 

 the particulars desired would perhaps have a postscript asking whether 

 there were any Indian remains to be found in the locality where the 

 correspondent lived, or whether there was any one who could be induced 

 to make a collection of fish, reptiles, birds, etc. In a great many in- 

 stances these letters bore important fruit, and any efforts made to 

 comply with the requests would be received with such courteous expres- 

 sions of approval, often backed up by Smithsonian reports or other 

 literature bearing upon the subject, that the collector would before long 

 become zealous in doing his part for so appreciative an institution. 

 It was in this way that with the expenditure of very little money — for 

 there was little money available for the purpose — the collections of the 

 Smithsonian grew. It is probable that Baird's courteous manner 

 toward all correspondents had a good deal to do with forming the cus- 

 tom which now prevails in the scientific departments in Washington, of 

 promptly supplying every serious enquirer with information, and, if 

 necessary, with publications. This useful and enlightened policy is 



B The letter, as copied, is in a few places indistinct, but Dr. Gill has 

 kindly interpreted the few difficult passages. 



