118 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
Charles Churchill joined Baird in many of his excur- 
sions, they soon became intimate friends, and young 
Churchill studied Algebra and Geometry with Baird as 
tutor. On the 19th of November a fire occurred at the Col- 
lege Museum in which the collections were much injured. 
Mary Churchill had been staying with the Baird’s, but 
about three weeks after his arrival she went South with the 
Colonel, leaving her mother and brother at Carlisle. Not 
long afterward Spencer began to correspond with her, and 
on New Year’s Day, 1845, received his first letter from her. 
From Spencer F. Baird to William M. Baird. 
CARLISLE, Jan. 13, 1845 
Dear WI11, 
About a week ago I wrote you a letter, which seemed so flat 
when I read it over that I was ashamed to send it. I do not know 
whether the present one will be any better, I however will try to 
makeitso. I have nothing of any particular interest to communicate, 
no narrative of rare or curious birds shot, or procured, no queer 
varmints, no nothing. My time has been principally occupied with 
study about as follows. In the morning Italian and German. From 
11 to 12 Draw Heads, feet, wings, tails, & Sterna. After this at 
synonyms of our birds, in the various works of Vieillot, Wilson, 
Audubon, Bonaparte, Nuttall, Jenyns, Jardine, &c. Algebra & 
geometry in the afternoon. German for a while in the evening 
with M’Clintock, & the rest of the time reading, writing &c. I have 
been getting my room fixed up in grand style for study & work, 
the partition side of the room filled up with shelves, large enough 
to hold all the school books, with a desk to study on. In this way 
I am rid of the necessity of having so many lumbering shelves, &c., 
and the room has now an air of stern simplicity most beautiful to 
behold. I have just finished the rough draft of another little article 
for the Gettysburg Linnaean journal, a list of the trees & shrubs of 
Cumberland Co. which will probably be published in the February 
number. The only birds of any importance procured since I last 
wrote are three Red tailed hawks, two Red, one Barred Owl, one 
