ITO Thirty-Si'cund Annual Mt'ctiity 



been stated that while Professor Baird's portrait hung over the* 

 entrance to the American section at Berlin, the Kanunerherr \on 

 Behr, the president of the Grernian Fishery Union, the most in- 

 fluential fishery organization in the world, never passed vmder 

 it without taking off his hat in honor of the "first fish-culturist 

 of the world," as he delighted to call him. The nomenclature of 

 zoology contains many memorials of liis connection with its his- 

 tor}'. A partial enumeration shows that over twenty-five sjiecies- 

 and one genus of fishes bear his name, and that not less than 

 forty species have been named in his honor. These will for all 

 time he monuments to his memory as lasting as the institutions- 

 which he founded. 



To his friends who know him Ix'st and miss him most it 

 seems pleasanter to dwell upon the recognition which his labors^ 

 received than u^jon the labors themselves, his devotion to which 

 so shortened his life. 



Time forbids any analysis of the character of Professor' 

 Baird. Indeed the occasion, and my personal relations to him tO' 

 whose memory we consecrate this hour favors no critical senti 

 ment. I may l)riefly present a few cliaracteristics which memory 

 brings before me. And first there stands out his modesty, al- 

 ways impressive whether in personal contact or in his writings, 

 Althougb constantly l)efore the public he seemed never to care 

 for public recognition. "J'liroughoiit a long life given to the jmb- 

 lic service, I find but one instance where he was induced to take 

 the platform in a public place. This occurred a few months be- 

 fore his death when Har\'ar(l University conferred upon him 

 the degree of l^L. 1)., as "an eminent promoter of science.*" 



"No man was more easily approached than Professor Bairtl.. 

 His reception of young ])ersons, especially those with an inclina- 

 tion to natural history, was particularly charming, at once re- 

 lieving them from embarrassment and captivating them by his 

 unassuming manners, his geniality, and fraidvuess." I wish 

 there were time to present inst-ances of these traits. They irradi- 

 ate through his whole life. His unfailing geniality was prover- 

 bial. These cliaracteristics secured for him the favorable consid- 

 eration of congressional committees when presenting his re- 

 quests For money to be used in the expanding work of the Fislx 

 Commission or tbe Xational ]\Iuseum. 



