176 The Smithsonian Institution 



Bairdian Period and School of Ornithology, which have been 

 recognized. No one has proposed similar periods and schools 

 in other departments of zoology, but in mammals particularly 

 there is even more justification for the use of these terms, for 

 his influence is here even more dominant to the present day. 

 Indeed, these terms might well be extended to cover the en- 

 tire field of systematic zoology in North America, in which he 

 has been even more prominent than was his contemporary 

 Agassiz in the related field of animal morphology. 



VII. 



THE most judicious estimate of the biological work of Baird 

 is, perhaps, that presented by Doctor Billings in his memoir 

 read before the National Academy in 1889. 



Doctor Billings points out that his writings contain not 

 merely descriptions of a large number of new species, but a 

 general revision of the classification and nomenclature, and 

 that the principles upon which these were founded have for 

 the most part stood the test of time, showing the keenness of 

 his insight into what may be called " fundamental morphol- 

 ogy." His larger works are still standards of reference, and 

 the additions which have been made to them are mainly the 

 work of his own pupils or of those who have been trained in 

 his methods. His work was necessarily confined to descrip- 

 tive morphology, systemization, and nomenclature, but his 

 early training as a field naturalist entirely removed him from 

 the category of mere species describers. His determinations 

 were founded mainly on bones and skins, which formed the 

 bulk of the material available at the time. 



"It is not," continues Doctor Billings, "an easy matter to 

 estimate fairly the importance of this kind of work and the 

 influence which it has on scientific progress and general cul- 



