146 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
matics) were afterwards among his most useful collectors 
of specimens for the National Museum, during their 
connection with various Government surveys. 
“There is probably no naturalist, especially if Herpe- 
tology were one of his specialties, about whom more or 
less apocryphal tales are not told of the escape of uncanny 
beasts from insecure prisons, to the consternation of his 
neighbors. During the period when my father was investi- 
gating this branch of natural history, he kept the snakes 
which he wished to observe alive in barrels; and, while 
allowing for the usual mythical stories, there is no question 
but that they did occasionally escape, being, however, 
recaptured in a short time. On one occasion a hissing- 
(or blowing) viper got out from his quarters, and, although 
my father made diligent search, could not be found. My 
father then took my mother into confidence in regard to 
the mishap. She had no feeling of repugnance, or fear, 
as to any non-poisonous snakes; but there was some doubt 
in their minds whether my grandmother Churchill would 
consider a meeting with even this innocent reptile agree- 
able,—and it was very certain that my mother’s sister- 
in-law, Mrs. Wm. Churchill, who was at that time on a 
visit to them, would be very much frightened at the bare 
suggestion that one of the snakes was loose in the house. 
It was finally decided that the chance of an encounter 
between his snakeship and the members of the family was 
unlikely, so unlikely that the remote chance would be 
better run than the certainty of nervous apprehension 
into which they would be thrown if they were in constant 
anticipation of it; and that therefore it would be better 
to say nothing. The event proved the conclusion to be 
a wise one. Some days after (it was in cold weather), 
my mother found the truant coiled up behind the stove 
