VOl i907" IV ] Deane > Letters of J. J. Audubon and S. F. Baird. 69 



most of the species. Gambel has a specimen of weasel which is 

 intermediate between Musiela frenata Licht. and M . xantlwgenys 

 of Gray in the present extracts. Have you heard lately from 

 John, 1 how does he get along, and when does he return. With 

 my best respects to your father and whole family I remain 



Yours as ever 



Spencer F. Baird. 



Baird to Audubon. 



Carlisle, Feb. 8, 1847. 

 My dear Mr. Audubon 



Very much to my astonishment I received last Saturday a letter 

 from Mr. Dana 2 saying that he had written to Dr. Pickering 3 that 

 I would make a good curator of the Smithsonian institute, and 

 advising me if I wished the place to write immediately to Prof. 

 Henry 4 and enclose my credentials. Now I would like the situation 

 amazingly and write to ask you to make out a flaming recommen- 

 dation for the place & send me as soon as possible. Say what you 

 please about qualification &c. I would be obliged to you for the 

 exertion of any personal influence you may have on the board of 

 Regents. When there I would hope to be materially useful to you 

 in your labors. I do not think that I replied to your query whether 

 Peale 5 had published any of the quadrupeds of the exped. or in 

 particular any deer. To the best of my knowledge he has not. 

 Drawings of many species have been made, but nothing published. 

 In an article by Count Castelnau 6 on his South American travels 

 in the Comptes Rendus Vol. 22. No. 23, June 1846, he says that 

 there exists a remarkable difference between the young of the 



1 John Woodhouse Audubon, who was then in Europe with his family, devoting 

 his time to painting pictures for the 'Quadrupeds.' 



2 James Dwight Dana, Geologist and Mineralogist. Born Feb. 12, 1813, died 

 April 14, 1895. 



3 Dr. Charles Pickering, Naturalist of the U. S. Exploring Expedition, under Capt. 

 Charles Wilkes, in 1838-42. Born Nov. 10, 1805, died March 17, 1878. 



4 Prof. Joseph Henry, elected first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Dec. 

 3, 1846. Born Dec. 17, 1799, died May 13, 1878. 



5 Titian R. Peale. Accompanied several exploring expeditions as naturalist. 

 Born 1800, died March 13, 1885. 



6 Francis de Castelnau, who travelled extensively in South America. Born in 

 London, England, 1812; died in Melbourne, Australia, 1880. 



