PUBLICATIONS OF SPENCER F. BAIRD. XI 



the western territories, aud it became the duty of Professor Baird to 

 eulist the sympathies of the commauders of these expeditions in the 

 objects of the Institution, to supply them with all the appliances for 

 collecting, as well as with instructions for their use, and also in most 

 cases to organize the natural history parties, nominate the collectors, 

 employ and supervise the artists in preparing the plates, and in many 

 instances to edit the zoological portions of the rei^orts. 



The fitting out of such expeditions was only a small part of the work; 

 from the beginning until now there have been numerous private col- 

 lectors, deriving their materials, their literature, and, to a considerable 

 extent, their enthusiasm from the Smithsonian Institution, and conse- 

 qnently in correspondence with its ofiicers. The Smithsonian "Instruc- 

 tions to Collectors," which has passed-through several large editions, as 

 well as numerous circulars written with a similar purpose, were pre- 

 pared by Professor Baird in connection with this department of his 

 work. 



As a result of this extensive work of organization, a large number of 

 young men have been trained as collectors and observers, and among 

 them not a few have become eminent in various departments of science. 



In addition to this special branch of his work, the assistant secretary 

 had, from the start, the charge of certain departments of the routine 

 work of the Institution ; the system of international exchanges, for in- 

 stance, which had ever been one of the leading objects of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, was organized by him in its details. His first task, 

 after entering upon his duties, was to distribute the second volume of the 

 "Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge." Already in connection 

 with his private enterprises he had developed a somewhat extensive sys- 

 tem of exchanges with European and American correspondents, aud the 

 methods thus established were expanded for the wider needs of the Insti- 

 tution. The main duty of the assistant secretary, however, was the 

 development of the natural history collections. As has already been 

 indicated, the private collection which he brought Avith him to Washing- 

 ton formed the nucleus of the Smithsonian museum. The only speci- 

 mens in possession of the Institution at the time of his arrival were a 

 few boxes of minerals and plants. The collections of the Wilkes Ex- 

 l)loring Expedition, which constitute the legal foundation of the National 

 Museum of the United States, were at that time under the charge of 

 the National Institute; and, although by the act of incorporation the 

 Smithsonian Institution was the legal custodian of the national cabinet 

 of curiosities, it was not until 1857 that the Regents finally accepted the 

 trust and the National Museum was definitely placed under the control 

 of the Smithsonian Institution and transferred to its building. Until 

 this time Congress had granted no funds for the support of the Smith- 

 sonian cabinets, and the collections had been acquired and cared for at 

 the expense of the endowment fund. They had, however, become so 



