'The Days of a Man 1879 



some of his experiences in anatomical work on birds 

 in joint authorship with Gill, whose part was never 

 ready. Said he: "I wouldn't do another stroke of 

 work with Gill to save his immortal soul!" He 

 furthermore suggested that I take my best student 

 Jordan as associate. On this excellent advice I acted, and 

 Gilbert ^ or a &d many years "Jordan and Gilbert" worked 

 together on about two hundred different papers. Of 

 our collaboration I shall frequently speak in later 

 pages. 



Besides Goode, Gill, and Coues, I met almost 

 daily two other naturalists of the Smithsonian staff, 

 Dr. William H. Dall and Robert Ridgway. Dall, 

 then and now the chief authority at Washington 

 on mollusks, and a man of agreeable personality, 

 had lately returned from explorations in Alaska. 

 As his field is widely separated from mine, our points 

 of contact are not frequent. But our friendly ac- 

 quaintance was pleasantly renewed when Eric de- 

 veloped a great interest in Conchology. In this 

 matter both Dr. Dall and his associate, Dr. Paul 

 Bartsch, have been exceedingly kind and helpful 

 to the boy. Ridgway, a young bird enthusiast, 

 had been lately brought by Baird from Illinois. Of 

 retiring nature, endless patience, and deep insight, 

 he has devoted a whole life to his chosen study, 

 becoming now perhaps the first ornithologist of his 

 time. 



To the group I found on my arrival in 1877 was 

 soon added Rathbun, the details of whose career 

 I have already given. Another able and industrious 

 investigator with whom I was early brought into 

 close association if not exactly at the same time 



C 178 3 



