SPENCER F. BAIRD. 711 



iiiid never liave {iiiythins' to <lo witli tlie (luarrels of otliors. He was 

 always for peace." * 



As a public officer, no man was more conscientiously dev^oted to his 

 duty or faithful iu its performance; and he administered the compli- 

 cated affairs of three distinct and important establishments with an 

 ability which commanded admiration, although it was plainly to be 

 seen that the responsibilities were too great for any single person to 

 bear. His capacity for work was enormous, and he was constantly oc- 

 cui)ied. He enjoyed work, and it was not his industry which hurt him; 

 but the harassing cares of his public trusts and the weight of their re- 

 sponsibility were too much for even his powerful physique to endure, 

 and he gave way under the strain. 



No man was more easily approached than Professor Baird, or greeted 

 a new acquaintance more cordially. His reception of young persons — 

 especially those with an inclination for natural history, was particularly 

 charming, at once relieving them from embarrassment and captivating 

 them by his unassuming manners, his geniality, and frankness. 



Trusting that he does not introduce too prominently his own person- 

 ality into this memoir, the writer offers the following brief outline of 

 his personal acquaintance with Professor Baird, as being ot probable 

 interest to members of the Union, and as giving an insight into the 

 character of his lamented friend. 



Until near the middle of the year 1864, the writer, then a lad in his 

 fourteenth year, was unacquainted with the name of any living natu- 

 ralist, or with any books on natural history except such general or 

 superficial compilations as Goldsmith's 'Animated Nature,' a history 

 of the United States (author forgotten) which included a chapter or 

 two on the natural history, and Goodrich's 'Animal Kingdom' — works 

 which, although supplying much valuable information to the general 

 reader, were of course wholly inadequate to the wants of a special 

 student. A lady resident in the town learned of his difficulties, and 

 suggested that bj^ writing to the Commissioner of Patents in Washing- 

 ton he might be able to obtain the correct names of birds, supplement- 

 ing her fortunate suggestion by the gift of an envelope bearing the 

 printed address of a former Commissioner of Patents. A letter was 

 written, and with it was inclosed a colored drawing, life size, of a pair 

 of Purple Finches ("Roseate Grosbeak, Loxia rosea," of the incipient 

 ornithologist) perched ui)on a dry stalk of the great ragweed {Ambrosia 

 trijida), the seeds of which in winter constitute the principal food of 

 the bird in that locality. An answ er was awaited with great impa- 

 tience, but in due time was received, the following being an exact copy : 



" Xo. 5064.] "Smithsonian Institution, 



" Washington, I). C, June 23, 1804. 

 "Dear Sir: The present Commissioner of Patents (Mr. Holloway, 

 not Mr. Bishop) has sent me your letter, as more conversant with the 

 subject of North American birds than himself. I have read it with 



* Prof. Otis T. Mason, in Washington F/venUuj .STirtr of Anujnat 20. 



