244 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
an active interest. She had what might be considered 
an expert knowledge of the English language, and her 
critical eye was most useful in reading the proofs of the 
articles, and seeing that their ideas were clearly and lucidly 
expressed. My father used jocularly to tell her that he 
regarded her as the ‘Average Intellect,’ and that when 
everything was clear to her, he took it for granted that 
it would be clear to the public at large. In addition to 
the work mentioned above, he finally entered into a 
similar arrangement with the New York Tribune, to 
which he furnished a scientific column. 
“In a short time after he began his relationship with 
Harper & Brothers, they decided to publish an annual 
volume, ‘The Annual Record of Science and Industry,’ 
covering for the year the range of subjects which had 
been treated in the columns of their periodicals. I believe 
that this was not a mere reprint; but that in many cases, 
articles were re-written, and in some instances, entirely 
new matter was introduced. It is possible also that some 
articles thought suitable for the more ephemeral publi- 
cations, were not thought of importance enough to appear 
in book form. This Annual Record was published every 
year from 1871 to 1877, when it was discontinued. 
“The years in which this work was carried on, and 
after the Fish Commission work was begun, were a period 
of tremendous industry; his work in the Museum and 
that of the Smithsonian being in themselves sufficient to 
occupy the time of one man. After a time the Harpers 
decided that the interest in scientific matter was not 
sufficient to warrant them to go to the great expense 
incurred by the elaborate way in which it had been 
attempted, and although the record in its various forms 
was interesting and of great importance to a number of 
