564 a century of progress in the natural sciences 



Baird and the Smithsonian 



At its inception, the Smithsonian Institution was charged with the responsi- 

 bilit}^ for maintaining a museum. Spencer Fullerton Baird, then assistant to 

 Secretary Henry submitted a report, detailing the need of research and publica- 

 tions that would accrue from such investigations. This was in accord with Henry's 

 view. 



The genius of Baird and his inspiration to the young collectors under him has 

 not been fully appreciated. Baird had an enthusiasm and matchless knowledge 

 of the vertebrates that will seldom be equaled. In 1853, Congress had appropri- 

 ated $150,000 to defray the expenses of the survey of the various routes along 

 which it was supposed that a railroad might be constructed from the Mississippi 

 River to the Pacific. For this purpose, six parties were organized by the War 

 Department. Through the efforts of Baird, persons capable of making collections 

 and observations in natural history were assigned to these parties. These expedi- 

 tions resulted in the most voluminous collections of the time. Earlier Wilkes 

 (1838-1842) and his associates had made collections on the U. S. Exploring Expe- 

 dition. Baird's study of these collections, particularly the mammals, was precise 

 and stands as a monument to his untiring industry (Baird, 1857). While Baird 

 presumably cared for the mammal collection until 1879, the U. S. National Museum 

 was organized in that year by G. Brown Goode, under the instruction and guid- 

 ance of Baird. Dr. Elliott Coues, distinguished ornithologist and mammalogist, 

 was designated as curator of mammals. His Fur-Bearing Animals, a monograph 

 of the North American Mustelidae published in 1877, was a classic of the time 

 and is of lasting value. Frederick W. True, renowned for his studies on cetaceans, 

 was curator of mammals from 1881 to 1908. 



Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., is indelibly stamped in the minds of mammalogists for 

 his North American Recent Mammals (Miller, 1924), the only check list of North 

 American mammals presently available to the student. In this report synonomy, 

 type locality, and distribution are given. While now an outdated reference work, 

 it is still of considerable value to the student. 



Remington Kellogg became curator of mammals upon Miller's retirement. His 

 knowledge of vertebrates is unsurpassed. He has published in many fields, but 

 his greatest contributions have been on cetaceans. Kellogg's place as a master 

 zoologist was recognized in 1948 when he was made director of the U. S. National 

 Museum. For a fuller account of the Smithsonian, the reader is referred to 

 Kellogg (1946). 



The Influence of Merriam on American Mammalogy 



Clinton Hart Merriam had a profound effect upon mammalogy, indeed he was 

 preeminent in the field. His accomplishments and influence on others will long 

 be felt in American zoology. As a youngster in upstate New York, his passion 

 for birds and mammals resulted in substantial early reports. Upon the comple- 

 tion of his medical school studies in 1879, Dr. Merriam practiced for six years in 

 Locust Grove, but his growing interest in mammals was evident during this 

 period. In 1884 his Mammah of the Adirondaks was published. This report set 

 a new standard, embodying for the first time details of life histories that have 

 seldom been surpassed in a local work. A year earlier he had begun correspond- 



