218 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
I procured a great many interesting fish, many of them new or 
very rare. Trout and White Fish I saw in any quantity, some of 
the former weighing from 20 to 40 lbs. The greatest treasures of the 
summer, however, were embraced in 7 boxes of specimens collected 
by Mr. Culbertson on the Upper Missouri. Among these were Skins, 
Skeletons, and skulls of Elk, Buffalo, Grizzly Bear, Wolves, Antelope, 
Deer, Beaver, Badger, Wolverene, &c. Best of all were some fossil 
teeth, skulls and bones of vertebrate animals from the Mauvaise 
Terres of the Platte. These were embedded in a calcareous marl 
and belonged to genera allied to Tapir, dnoplotherium, Palaeotherium 
& other extinct forms. Most are entirely new, all are completely 
petrified, the cavities of the long bones being filled with quartz. 
There are turtle shells over an inch thick, and I have three nearly 
perfect, one weighing about 150 lbs. These things of course belong 
to the Smithsonian. The freight alone amounts to $68.00 and the 
whole cost of getting will probably amount to $200.00. 
Have you been doing anything in the way of practising German 
translating? You perhaps had better try an article and even if the 
first efforts be not satisfactory, you will finally succeed. The trans- 
lation must of course give all the facts accurately, and be in good 
readable English. The first part is entitled Volkerkunde der Gegen- 
stand and consists of notices of the manners and customs of all 
modern nations with their various distinctive peculiarities. This 
will make about 170 pages of English text. 
? 
Next comes “ Military Sciences,”’ 180 pp. English. 
Next “Naval Sciences and Ship Building,” 120 pp. 
Next “Architecture,” 300 pp. 
Next “Mythology and Religions,” 120 pp. 
Now which will you try? I think perhaps the first would be easiest, 
but the question may arise as to your doing it in time. It may be 
wanted in three or four months. Military Sciences you would find 
very difficult, owing to the numerous technicalities. The same applies 
to Naval Sciences and Architecture; the Mythology would be less 
troublesome. On the whole I don’t know but that you had better 
try the first mentioned. 
How would you like to undertake making an index to the first 
volume of Iconographic, taking in all up to Botany? There will have 
