1850 TO 1865 305 
accompany packages, which themselves go in a box to your address, 
through Iasigi & Goddard. 
My exploring expeditions, too, are all off, which is a great relief. 
I will try and send you an account of these in an article which I am 
preparing for the meeting of the American Association at Cleveland, 
July 28th. I have had in all no less than 19 to equip and fit out from 
a natural history point of view. You ask who is to describe nonde- 
scripts, and what is to be done with the things when they come in. 
That is not my particular business now; my duty is to see that no 
chances are lost of advancing science, leaving the future to take care 
of itself. And indeed I expect the accumulation of a mass of matter 
thus collected, (which the Institution cannot or will not “‘curate”’ 
efficiently) to have the effect of forcing our government into estab- 
lishing a National Museum, of which (let me whisper it) J hope to be 
director. Still even if this argument don’t weigh now; it will one of 
these days and I am content to wait. 
Most of the expeditions have left in my hands, sums amounting 
in the aggregate to nearly ten thousand dollars, to pay costly trans- 
portation of specimens, and their preparation for publication. I can 
thus have first-rate figures made of the different species, which will 
supply a great desideratum. 
Affectionately yours, 
S. F. Bairp. 
From Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird. 
WasuHINGTON, July 2, 1853. 
Dear WILL, 
I send by Adams Express prepaid, a box containing bird skins 
which please label at your convenience. Use the nomenclature of 
Audubon’s Synopsis and put in reference to fig. & plates of the illus- 
trations. Keep any of the specimens you choose even amounting to 
a complete series. Please make out a list of all the specimens on a 
separate piece of paper. 
I leave on Monday evening for Cleveland, and after remaining 
a few days, go to Wisconsin. I return to Cleveland about July 26, 
and remain ten days for the Meeting of the Association, then join 
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