CORRESPONDKNCE 165 



Woods Holl, Mass., July 17, 1871. 

 My Dear Mr. Boardman : 



I am delighted to hear that you have at last succeeded iu 

 getting for us a skeleton of the Moose; and write to ask you to 

 forward it by some vessel loaded with lumber and bound for Wash- 

 ington. If you can send it to the care of our friend Mohun it will 

 be well, as he is very clever in such matters. Please let me know 

 the bill of expense, in order that I may send it to Washington and 

 have it paid. It is of no consequence whether or not the skeleton 

 reaches Washington before the middle of October, or even later. 



I am glad you sent the Labrador Duck to Wallace to be 

 mounted for us. I enclose a letter received from Cheney in regard 

 to a strange duck which I cannot make out ; can you give me any 

 suggestion in regard to this? 



I am not at all astonished that Dresser was not satisfied with 

 the California book, either as to the descriptions or the biographies. 



I flatter myself that the new work will be a totally different 

 affair, and that in it he will find all that is to be known in regard 

 to the habits, as well as descriptions of our American species. I 

 am glad to have information in regard to Allen's movements, 

 which I have not previously known. He will undoubtedly make 

 a magnificent collection of all sorts of things. Could you not get 

 Capt. Treat to save for us the jaws of the sharks he takes and 

 throws away this summer? That will give me a clue to the species, 

 and should I get to Eastport next summer I shall then arrange to 

 make a more complete collection. 



I am hard at work here, studying up the fish, and have already 

 collected quite an amount of valuable information on the subject. 

 If you come to Boston before September, I wish you would run 

 down for a few days and see us here. 



Very truly yours, 



Spencer F. Baird. 



Washington, D. C, Feb. 17, 1872. 

 My Dear Mr. Boardman : 



Yours of the 11th has just come to hand with its eftectual 

 disposition of the question of the Coontail cat. I am not at all 

 surprised at the result, I am glad to find the question set at rest. 



