56 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
It was the custom then for medical students in many 
cases to serve as assistants to an established medical 
practitioner while attending lectures. 
Baird’s patron was Dr. Middleton Goldsmith, who 
seems to have been much interested in his protégé, 
introducing him to men of note and taking him to call 
on influential people as well as New York’s men of 
science. He attended lectures at Bellevue Hospital and 
worked in the dissecting room. J. G. Bell’s taxidermist’s 
establishment was a favorite resort, and there he met 
for the first time, November 5th, the ornithologist George 
N. Lawrence," who became a lifelong and intimate 
friend. When not at lectures or in Dr. Goldsmith’s 
office, he was much with his connections Major LeConte 
and his family, and with T. R. Peale,“ Dr. Jay, De Kay, 
18 George Newbold Lawrence, ornithologist, was born in New 
York, Oct. 20, 1806, and died there Jan. 17, 1895. He was especially 
devoted to exotic ornithology, to which he made important contri- 
butions. 
4 Titian Ramsay Peale of Philadelphia (1800-1885) was an artist 
on the Exploring Expedition and prepared the first report on the 
birds and mammals collected. Most of the copies of this work were 
recalled, owing to some contentions among the members of the staff, 
and the book is extremely rare. A subsequent report was afterward 
prepared by John Cassin, in 1858. 
48 John Clarkson Jay, M.D., born in New York, Sept. 11, 1808, 
graduated at Columbia College in 1827 and at the College of Physi- 
cians and Surgeons in 1831. He died at Rye, N. Y., Nov. 15, 1891. 
He was in easy circumstances, and accumulated a large library and 
collection of shells now in the American Museum of Natural History 
in New York City. He published several catalogues of his collection, 
was long an active member of the New York Lyceum of Natural 
History and a trustee of Columbia College. His generosity led him to. 
encourage exploration, and materially assist many students, collectors 
and travellers. 
