80 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



raih'oads. Can you not get the boys to take up the subject and 

 see that the products of the mounds and graves dug through are 

 secured for us. There are so many outsiders at work in Florida 

 and elsewhere, that we do not get anything like the share we 

 ought to have of the good things going. 



Of course, any rare birds will be welcome. K I knew of 

 some clever taxidermist to send doA^Ti and make a good collection 

 of bii'ds I would send him. Perhaps Ridgway himself would like 

 to go and spend a few weeks, at the proper season. What are the 

 chances of getting what 1 want? 



We have nothing speciallj' new here, excepting that Nelson 

 aud Turner are both back again from Alaska with immense col- 

 lections. 



I am trying to arrange matters to have a meteorological estab- 

 lishment at Ungava Bay and to send a good naturalist in charge. 

 This A\'ill give us a first-rate show at the water bii'ds of Hudson's 

 Straits and Xorthern Labrador. Don't you want to go? 



With love to Mrs. Boardman from all of us, believe me, 

 Sincerely Yours, 



S. F. Baird. 



The winter of 1882 was spent mostly in Palatka, Fla., 

 although excursions were made to several other places. 

 Under date of January 16 of that year Prof. Baird writes 

 him : "I shall be very glad indeed if you can secure for 

 us some of those fine specimens to which you refer. I 

 hope 5^ou will constitute yourself a committee of six in 

 the interest of the National museum. If you remain long 

 enough in Florida in the spring I will see if I can not send 

 Mr. Ridgway or some one else to collect specimens under 

 your direction." This is one of the many evidences 

 which Prof. Baird had in Mr. Boardman' s accurate knowl- 

 edge of natural history that occur in his correspondence. 

 But little collecting was done by Mr. Boardman during 

 that winter in the south, and on April 6 Mr. and Mrs. 

 Boardman left for Washington where they arrived April 



