168 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
Our present expectation is that we shall be at home from the last 
of July to the 2oth of August, and, of course, at Commencement, and 
in that case it will give us much pleasure to renew our friendly inter- 
course with you, and to make the acquaintance of your husband, 
if, indeed, we may not claim to know him already. It is, however, 
possible that we may be absent during the months of July and 
August, but if so, Mr. Baird will find my Library at his command, 
though I fear it will offer little to aid him in his favorite pursuits. 
Upon looking over my Northern books, I was disappointed to find 
less than I had supposed on the subject of Northern ornithology, 
(so little, indeed, that I thought it hardly worth while to put Mr. B. 
to the expense of carriage of several bulky tomes, which would scarcely 
contain the two grains of wheat he seeks in the two bushels of chaff); 
though I have several works on other branches of Natural History 
in the Scandinavian tongues, and some of a more general character, 
embracing something of ornithological learning. Among these is 
the Transactions of the Royal Swedish Acad. of Science from 1737 
to 1837 in 100 Vols. which contains a good deal of Natural History 
as well as other matter. If I am at home, as I hope to be, during 
your visit, I shall be happy to aid Mr. B. in the way of translation, 
if he has not already mastered the modern languages. 
From Geo. P. Marsh to Spencer F. Baird. 
BuriincTton, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 1847. 
Dear S1r,— 
I have delayed writing to you in the hope that I might still be 
able to start on Thursday, but I fear I have now no reason to hope 
that that will be practical. There would be an advantage in going 
as far as Montpelier on Friday, which would make the journey easier 
to the ladies, and if agreeable to you we will make that arrangement. 
In that case we reach Woodstock on Saturday evening and Boston 
on Monday. 
I wrote to the proprietors of the Tremont House to secure 
lodgings for Mrs. M. and myself and added that I supposed you and 
Mrs. B. would be of our party, but as I was not sure that you would 
not stop a day at Springfield, and so be detained until Tuesday, 
I did not desire them to reserve rooms, but said I thought you would 
write. 
