The Three Secretaries 179 



who were stimulated and encouraged by his example, who 

 followed his methods, have continued his work, and have 

 taught others, so that there are now observers and workers 

 almost everywhere. The first made great use of the micro- 

 scope and of embryology ; the second very little, for he had 

 to use the material available. The first had a vivid imagina- 

 tion which led him to frame many theories and hypotheses to 

 be verified or disproved by future investigation and research ; 

 the second classified the facts before him, but theorized very 

 little. Professor Baird's career as an original investigator 

 was hampered and finally stopped by his administrative work, 

 but in proportion as this latter increased he was able to fur- 

 nish materials and opportunities for others. The pupils of 

 Agassiz and Baird are the working naturalists of to-day and 

 the teachers of those who are to come, and the two methods 

 of study are being combined and developed to produce re- 

 sults of which we already have good reason to be proud, and 

 the end of which no man can foresee." 



VIII. 



THE influence of Professor Baird in the encouragement of 

 scientific enterprise was exceedingly great. The relation of 

 the Smithsonian Institution to scientific exploration, espe- 

 cially in natural history and ethnology, is for all time in- 

 separably connected with the history of the country. This 

 department of its work was from its inception under the di- 

 rection of the Assistant Secretary, and so intimately through 

 him was the Institution connected with the scientific work of 

 the exploring expeditions that the annual reports from 1851 

 to 1871 contain what is practically a complete history of the 

 work of the government in the exploration of the great un- 

 known regions of the West. This constitutes, in fact, the 



