REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 79 



selor of inaiiy men; iuto his ciirs were poured the sorrows and joys of 

 others, aud he niouriied with the inouriiing', and rejoiced with tlie re- 

 joieiug. Ills life at home was pure aud sweet and full of Joys, for he 

 i;ave aud received love aud trust aud teuder care. But the history of 

 his home life is sacred. 



"For mauy long mouths he coutemplated the day of i)artiug. Labor 

 that knew uo rest, resi>ousibility that was never lifted from his shouhhsrs, 

 too soon brought his life to an end. lu the summer of the past year he 

 returned to his work by the sea-side, that he might die in its midst. 

 There at Wood's Holl he had created the greatest biologic laboratory of 

 the world ; aud iu that laboratory, with the best results of his life-work 

 all about him, he calmly aud i)hilo8ophically waited for the time of 

 times." 



The memorial which is being prepared, iu obedieuce to the desire of 

 the liegeuts, by the Assistant Secretary of tiie Institution, is partly writ- 

 ten, but the pressure of oflicial work has preveuted its completion iu 

 time for publication iu the present report. 



It seems essential, however, that this report should not be pul)- 

 lished without at least a brief biographical sketch of my predecessor 

 from one of his scientilic family, aud the following notice, which antici- 

 pates the coming fuller memorial by Dr. Goode, has accordingly beeu 

 prepared by him at my request. 



" Spencer FuUertou Baird was born February 3, 1823, in Keading, a 

 town iu southeastern Peunsylvauia about GO miles from Philadelphia, 

 where his ancestors, peoi)le of education and i)romineut iu the commu- 

 nity, had lived for several generations. About 1831 his mother, then a 

 widow, removed to Carlisle. Carlisle was the seat of Dickinson Col- 

 lege, where he was graduated iu 1810, at the age of seventeen. His 

 tastes for scientilic iuvestigatiou had already developed in such a re- 

 markable manner that his mother felt that she was justitied in allowing 

 him, after graduation, to devote himself for a time to his favorite pur- 

 suits, aud his time for several years was devoted to studies in general 

 natural history, to long pedestrian excursions for the purpose of observ- 

 ing animals aud plants, and C/Ollecting specimens, and to the organiza- 

 tion of a private cabinet of natural history, which a few years later be- 

 came the nucleus of the museum of the Smithsonian Institution. During 

 this period he i)ublished a number of original papers ou natural his- 

 tory. There were at that time uo schools tor young naturalists, and 

 his education was in large degree self-directed ; during this time, how- 

 ever, he partially completed a course in mediuine at the College of 

 IMiysicans and Surgeons in New York,* aiul drew inspiration aud in- 

 struction from such men as Audubon and others of the older natural- 

 ists whom at this i)eriod he visited, forming the foundation of lifelong 

 friendships. His houu; studies continued for six years, and were 

 scarcely interrupted by his election iu I81L to the chair of natural his- 



* Ho read niediciue with Dr. Middletou Goldsmith, and attciidod a winter courae of 

 liictnres at tho CoIIoko of Physicians and Snrgc.on.sin New York, in 1642. Hisnicdical 

 conrso was never Ibrnially coinplctid, allli()u<^h in 1848 he received the degree of 

 M. D., hi^noris cama, from the Phihidelphia Medical College. 



