112 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
So much for Dr. Brewer, now for some other items. Last Friday 
week Atken came to me & asked me to come to his shop to decide 
a dispute he had with some one, about a small Fly up the creek he 
had there. I went there & was rather surprised to see two Least 
Bitterns. They had been killed shortly before in that marsh opposite 
Slack’s house at the Dam. I went out there next morning, and in 
an hour had four of them, 3 males. Not being satisfied with these, 
I went out again on Monday & got four more, all females. I probably 
could have got more, but I began to be ashamed of murdering them 
so. They were the tamest birds I ever saw. I caught one uninjured, 
& Nep‘ another. I have no doubt there are more out there, perhaps 
they will breed. The females had eggs as large as peas in their ovary. 
The same Saturday, I stuffed a Loon which I bought from a Black 
boy for two cents. This was a male, just changing from young 
plumage to old & very curious. 
I am glad you got the birds you did in Philadelphia. Mrs. 
Alexander’s not having arrived yet, I have not seen them. Brewer's 
box has not reached this yet, though it is in Philadelphia. He says 
there is a Mealy Redpoll in it, and that he thinks the Guillemot is 
Brunnich’s. I will send the birds you bargained for to those Phila- 
delphia fellows as soon as I can. In some instances I will have to 
send others in place of those you mention as we have not got them 
to spare. 
How did you make out with your Butcher bird & the Reading 
Museum, & what sort of a collection have they of birds, &c. I hope 
you keep your eyes about you for the capture of any thing valuable. 
Don’t forget about getting birds eggs of all species, as we ought to 
have a collection of them ourselves. I forgot to say that Brewer 
told me that Kimball had a Cinereous owl, with but one wing, 
otherwise in good condition which he will exchange for almost any 
thing. Brewer is going to make him hold on to it for us. 
The number of birds stuffed amounts now to 1568. I could not 
do much while Brewer was here, & it is getting late in the season. 
I think I will go over to see Haldeman before long, I may get some- 
thing valuable from that Museum man there. Write soon tell me 
all the news. I had almost forgotten to say that Dr. Morris’ book 
arrived safely the day you left, and seems well worth having. I 
‘His dog Neptune. 
