THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 149 



how he showed his own firm faith, true to his science and 

 bis God ; with courage in his convictipns and caution in 

 his speculations. Above all, we know the purity of the 

 man whose principles all true naturalists will essay to fol- 

 low. 



Of Professor Baird, we all know of his youth passed in 

 the fields of Pennsylvania, and of his early researches in 

 the zoology of the state while professor of natural history 

 in Dickinson College, about the time when Professor Gray 

 took the chair of natural history at Harvard; how he 

 was selected by Professor Henry in 1848 to be the recip- 

 ient of the first grant made by the Smithsonian Institution 

 in aid of scientific exploration, that he might explore the 

 bone-caves of Pennsylvania ; and how two years afterwards 

 he was appointed assistant secretary of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, in which position he did so much in directing 

 systematic researches upon the zoology of America, and 

 in organizing that great system of international exchange 

 which has become one of the most important aids in the 

 "diffusion of knowledge among men" in fulfilment of 

 Suiithson's bequest to the country. Years after, when the 

 death of Professor Henry occurred, Professor Baird was 

 the one man to take his place, and here he showed still more 

 the great breadth of his mind and his loyal character. He 

 was then cjalled upon to administer trusts with which, during 

 his life, he had had little in common, still no department of 

 the great institution suffered, and all branches of science 

 received from him equal attention ; although his love was 

 ever for natural history in its broadest sense. We all know 

 of his great administrative powers, of his influence over 

 the large number of young naturalists who have gathered 

 at Washington on the Government expeditions and sur- 

 veys during the past thirty years, and the enormous col- 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XX. 10* 



