Aiiiericaii Fisit cries Socieljj. 167 



scientific enterprise, however, was not unknown to the Smith- 

 sonian authorities, for we find that "'the first grant made 1)\- the 

 institution for scientific exploration and tiehl research was in 

 1848 to Spencer F. Baird, of Carlisle, for the exploration of the 

 bone caves and the local natural history of southeastern Penn- 

 S3'lvania." The thorough preparation and infiuential position 

 in the world of science with which he entered upon these duties 

 is evidenced ])y the friendships and partnerships he had during 

 these early years already formed with leading naturalists on 

 both continents, and the system of exchanges whieli in connec- 

 tion with his jjrivate enterprises he liad developed witli Euro- 

 pean and American correspondents. 



I have spoken of his connection with the eminent Dr. Kirt- 

 land in 1848. Ten years before that he liad met Audoljon and 

 had felt the stimulus of his friendship, proved by Audobon'a 

 gift to his young friend in 1842 of the greater part of his collec- 

 tion of birds, and most of his types of new s])ecies. It was a 

 keen disappointment to both that tlie ilint'ss of Baii-d pi-evented 

 his accompanying Aiidobon as his secretary on Ids six niontlis' 

 trip to the Yellowstone Park in 1840. The early eorrespond- 

 ence with such men as (xeorge X. Lawrence in 1S41 : with Cas- 

 sin and John G. ]\rorris in 1843. and with Bi'i'wer. and llalde- 

 man in 1845 influenced Baird's after life. In 1847 he met Agas- 

 siz just arrived from Switzerland in conijjany with Desor and 

 Girard. How natural was the sympathy innnt'diately developed 

 between these congenial spirits is shown by the fact that within 

 a year was projected the work of Agassi z and Baird on "The 

 Freshwater Fishes of the Tnited States." 'Mn 1843 he trans- 

 lated Ehrenberg's H'orals of the Bed Sea' for Prof. J. D. Dana, 

 then preparing his reports for the United States exploring ex- 

 pedition, and in 1846 we find him in Boston consulting the li- 

 braries of Amos Binney and the Boston Society of Xatural Sci- 

 ences for preparing a "Synonymy of Xortli American Birds." 



Before this audience I need not dwell upon the signal influ- 

 ence of Professor Baird in the encouragement of scientific enter- 

 prise from the time of his entering upon his official connection 

 with the Smithsonian. The Department of Explorations from 

 the start was under his charge. What that meant of laborious 

 but euthusiastic work in organization of the extensive govern- 



