74 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
present a well finished appearance. I should like very much to 
tumble over and examine the rough skins, but nothing is allowed to 
be touched, and the room in which they are deposited, separate 
from the exhibition room, is kept locked and persons admitted but 
for a few minutes. Dr. Leibs’ birds are beautifully preserved and 
mounted; most of them looking as to position, eyes, etc., perfectly 
lifelike and natural. It is not so complete a collection of the birds 
of Pennsylvania as ours; although he has birds procured in Pennsyl- 
vania which we have not, the big loggerhead shrike amongst the rest. 
He has a female hawk there, precisely in appearance like the Astur (?) 
we got this spring. It appears to be about three inches longer, 
but exactly like in plumage. It is marked Astur Cooperit. If it is 
marked correctly, and I have very little doubt it is, Audubon is 
wrong in making his male Cooper’s hawk the same length with the 
female. Perhaps he may have corrected this in his smaller work. 
From William M. Baird to Spencer F. Baird. 
WasuinctTon, Aug. 24, 1841. 
I have been at the Patent office once since the collection of the 
National Institute was moved upstairs. It was in the basement 
and the damp was very injurious to many of the articles, but the 
room now is very well situated, immensely large, very handsome 
and well lighted. 
From William M. Baird to S. F. Baird. 
WasHINGTON, January 7th, 1842. 
The collection of the National Institute increases in the most 
astonishing manner. The collection of reptiles is immense; there 
is ditto minerals; very large birds, ditto; both of the South Sea 
expedition, of which some are mounted and set up daily, also of our 
own birds which they buy in the market whenever an opportunity 
offers, and set up in the most splendid manner; besides having large 
numbers presented. They will no doubt get a pretty good appropria- 
tion from Congress. If this is accomplished, they will no doubt get 
on even more rapidly. 
