CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 75 
From William M. Baird to S. F. Baird. 
WasHINGTON, February Ist, 1842. 
The National Institute collection is increasing in the most 
wonderful manner; donations of every description are daily pouring 
in. Townsend ™ buys up everything worth having to be found in 
the market, and mounts them in the most splendid manner. There 
are about 450 species of birds mounted (besides those of the Exploring 
expedition, which have not been set up, to the number of some 
hundreds probably) of these in the neighborhood of 180 are North 
American. Quadrupeds are about fifty in number, among the rest 
a fine South American jaguar. There is also in the collection a small 
lynx, which is supposed to be our common species. It is, however, 
gray, with stripes almost as regular and distinct as those of a tiger. 
It seems also to be much lighter in the body than the common wild- 
cat. All that is known as to where it came from is that it was pre- 
sented by the proprietor of a small museum, who bought it of a man 
who knew nothing about it. The collection of crustacea is said to 
be the largest in the United States. The number of shrimps crabs, 
lobsters, etc., is immense. The collection of reptiles and fish, which 
are principally from the Exploring expedition is also large, but they 
are so mixed up together in the bottles that there is very little satis- 
faction in looking at them. The cabinet of animals is very fine and 
there is a good collection of geological specimens. Besides these 
are many things too numerous to mention: skulls, mummies, coins, etc. 
I have arrived at the same conclusion as yourself, that arsenical 
soap is not the best thing for preserving skins. Those put up with 
the powder look a great deal better and are much less trouble, even 
if the soap were as efficacious. At the end of this letter I will give 
> John Kirk Townsend, born in Philadelphia, Oct. 10, 1809, died 
in Washington, Feb. 6, 1851. An associate of Audubon, a student 
and explorer, connected with the staff of the National Institute in 
1842, and highly regarded by naturalists of his day. 
