138 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
not in my collection. It is my intention to monograph most of our 
sub-families from time to time with outline drawings of the generic 
and specific parts which cannot well be described; as the shape of 
the bill, feet, wing and tail. Those at present underway are Tyran- 
ninae, Tyrannus, Ptilogonys, Syloicolinae, Falconinae, &c. For this 
I possess very extensive materials as far as North American species 
go, but to make the work complete, the difference between each one 
and any closely allied Foreign species must be clearly ascertained 
and pointed out, and for this a very large collection is necessary. 
I am afraid, however, that it will be some time before your 
materials will be available; the mere putting in order of so many 
birds will require a great deal of time, and when to this you add the 
labor of labelling each specimen and determining the unknown 
species, and of intercalating those which may be procured hereafter,— 
it will probably be found that a period of several years will be required. 
Besides, there are very few persons in this country who are capable 
of doing all this in a scientific manner such as Tschudi, a de Wied, 
a Lichtenstein, or a Sundevall (not English or French) would respect. 
It is not something to be taken up in a day; not to be contracted 
for, as one would to mend a turnpike or pull down a house; these 
things men could be hired to do; that must be attended to by science: 
alone. It requires years of study, combined with great natural 
aptitude and ability, to be equal to such a task. I know of but one 
individual in the country,— and I believe I am well acquainted with 
all the Ornithologists,— who is at all capable of doing what is neces- 
sary. This is Mr. John Cassin of Philadelphia. Years ago, when 
I first commenced the study of Ornithology, I found him well versed 
in it, and now he is the only person I have yet seen who knows 
foreign specimens as well as American. Familiar with the use of 
ornithological books, and there are few here now who are so, he is 
in every way competent to continue on a large scale what he has 
been doing for many years on a smaller. You will, I hope, pardon 
me, dear Sir, for saying that it would be of the highest importance 
to the interests of science to secure his services, if not for permanency, 
for a few years at least. I can say in the plainest terms that no one 
else in the United States is at all fit to be employed about it. The 
collector of specimens is not necessarily an ornithologist; he may 
know the names of a great many birds, and yet be deficient in true 
