434 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
From a Letter of Professor S. P. Langley to the Hon. James 
B. Beck? 
“Professor Baird was for thirty-seven years continu- 
ously in the scientific service of the Government. In 
connection with his duties as an officer of the Smithsonian 
Institution, his principal work was the development and 
care of the National Museum of the United States, which, 
under his wise administration, has always been an impor- 
tant element in the scientific and educational progress of 
this country, its scale of operations becoming each year 
greater and more highly appreciated both in this country 
and abroad. He was also especially instrumental in organ- 
izing the system of international exchanges of publica- 
tians, which was always under his direct charge, and which 
has been one of the most important agencies in the 
development of the public libraries of the United States, 
particularly in the departments of pure and applied 
science. He was, furthermore, during his entire official 
career, directly or indirectly concerned in the organization 
and administration of the scientific work of the numerous 
expeditions and surveys sent out under Government 
auspices, from the time of the Wilkes exploring expedition 
until his death. The reports upon the natural history of 
the Pacific Railroad survey, Mexican Boundary survey, 
and many of the other surveys of the West, were prepared 
under his direction, and the two volumes of the report 
of the Pacific Railroad survey devoted to mammals and 
birds were written by him, and are still standard works 
of reference. In addition to these reports he was the 
author of several hundred important papers upon the 
2 Congressional Record, Senate, Vol. 19, pt. 7, p. 6916; July 27, 
1888. 
