THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 189 
Bibb, started July 13th for western Virginia, on a collect- 
ing expedition. They visited Kennerly’s father in Clarke 
County, then proceeded in a carriage from Harrisonburg 
to Stanton and the Shenandoah Valley, dragging every 
stream with a small seine for fishes. On the 22nd they 
reached the White Sulphur Springs, Baird very ill with 
dysentery, which had been coming on for several days. 
He was critically ill, but medical attendance and the 
faithful nursing of his companion carried him through the 
crisis, and on the 1st of August he was able to be moved 
and on the road to recovery. By the time they reached 
Newtown, Kennerly was down with the disease and had 
to be left. Baird and Bibb finally reached Carlisle on 
the 7th of August. He was well enough by the 16th to 
start for the meeting of the American Association at 
Cambridge, where he stayed with Professor Agassiz, with 
Haldeman, Gibbes of South Carolina, John Le Conte 
and the Holbrooks. After the meeting he returned to 
Carlisle August 25th, and went to work again on the 
encyclopedia. 
From J. D. Dana to Spencer F. Baird. 
New Haven, Conn., August 27th, 1849. 
As to your application to Professor Henry. The fact 
is that Henry has no idea of requiring, yet a while, a curator. He 
intends to have nothing to do with the Exploring Expedition Collec- 
tions or any other government property. I regret that he takes this 
stand,—for collections are better than books to the naturalist; they 
contain the whole that was ever put in words on the subject, and they 
illustrate a thousand times more. He is more interested in the library 
and publications,—both very important purposes,—but the plan is 
one sided—and not of the wide comprehensive character I had 
expected from Henry. I wish there was a chance to establish you 
here at Yale, but that is out of the question. Your industry must be 
