46 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
These letters were the first of a series extending over 
more than seven years, in which the friendliness of the 
great naturalist of fifty-eight and the youth of seventeen 
grew into a warm attachment. Some of these letters 
not found in Professor Deane’s collection will be inserted 
in their appropriate places. 
It is quite surprising in looking over the journal, and 
considering the period and the circumstances, to see how 
many of the standard scientific books of the time were 
accessible to the young naturalist. The library of the 
college and the State library at Harrisburg, the private 
libraries of Professor Allen, Dr. Foster and various mem- 
bers of the Penrose, Biddle, and Baird families (to say 
nothing of the books in the library of the Academy at 
Philadelphia which were accessible to visitors), afforded 
a supply of scientific literature which young Baird 
studied with avidity. It is probable that, in the present 
day of multitudinous public libraries, a similarly placed 
student would hardly find himself so favorably situated, 
as regards the literature of natural history. 
The college examinations took place in June, 1840. 
On the ninth of the month he received his degree of A.B. 
The class consisted on graduation of nineteen students, 
out of forty-eight who entered as freshmen. He notes 
that they were as a class singularly united, no “Society” 
lines dividing them. He took no part in the oratorical 
exercises of Commencement, not having been well enough 
to write a discourse. His graduating expenses were five 
dollars for his diploma, two dollars toward printing 
Professor Allen’s address and five dollars and a quarter 
for the music and other expenses of the day. 
Having graduated, the vacation months were spent in 
reading, study, excursions on foot and in the saddle, with 
