CORRESPONDENCE 159 



United States district attorney to seize it as smuggled 

 from old Indians without paying duty ; or else as a 

 Fenian weapon intended for invading New Brunswick. 

 I will ask Prof. Henry to let me send you a lot of showy 

 shells and birds to trade for this and other purposes. I 

 hope you will find out all the shell heap localities and 

 dig all you can ; there will be plenty left for me to do 

 when I come up again. I intend to make a specialty of 

 this subject and want to work it out thoroughly. Note 

 all you can about thickness and succession of beds ; 

 interpolation of gravel; position of best remains," etc. 



In a letter dated Washington, November 22, 1869, Prof. 

 Baird writes : ' ' Ridgway is now hard at work upon the 

 North American hawks and is doing a good work. He 

 finds a species like the European Merlin, but differing 

 both from that and from the Pigeon Hawk. I will show 

 it to you when you come. Write soon and let me know 

 when we may expect you. I hope you will arrange so as 

 to pay us a good visit on your way south." Writing to 

 Mr. Boardman, who was then in Florida, January 27, 

 1871, Prof. Baird says : " The fish bill has passed the 

 House and has a good chance of going through the 

 Senate so that you may yet be called upon to furnish 

 official information of what you know about fishes and 

 you will please be prepared." To this letter a postscript 

 is added from Mrs. Baird : "I send a handkerchief left 

 here, thinking you may want it. — M. H. C. B." 



"I would like very much," Prof. Baird writes from 

 Woods Holl, Mass., July 25, 1871, "to 'knock off' 

 work here and go with you up Princeton way to shoot 

 young ducks ; but I rather think I had better stick to 

 my business the present summer, hoping that perhaps I 



