IV 
THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 
N the 19th of February, 1845, Baird proceeded to 
New York and went to his relative Major Le Conte. 
He found the streets almost impassable from the 
deep snow. He met James Hall! and Frank Churchill, the 
elder brother of Charles, came to see him. He visited 
George N. Lawrence and examined his host’s fine collec- 
tion of birds. At Dr. Trudeau’s he saw a splendid collec- 
tion of birds’ eggs and drawings of eggs. On the 24th 
he went to visit the Audubons. 
The house was beautifully situated two miles beyond 
Harlem on the bank of the Hudson river. He found 
there Audubon and his wife and his two sons and their 
wives. He enjoyed Audubon’s fine ornithological library 
and collection, and the pleasant walks of the vicinity. 
On the 26th he returned to the city. A few days later 
he revisited the Audubons and was told by Mr. Audubon 
to select from his collection at Bell’s taxidermist’s estab- 
lishment any duplicate birdskins he desired. He complied 
with this generous offer and selected about forty species. 
March 7th he visited the printing office of Harper and 
Brothers, and met there William Cullen Bryant, the poet 
and editor. On the 1oth he returned to Philadelphia, 
where his mother was visiting, and on the 21st both left 
the city for Carlisle. The train ran off the track near 
Middletown and down an embankment, fortunately 
without serious consequences to the passengers; and they 
reached Carlisle late in the evening. Mrs. Churchill and 
1 State Geologist of New York and distinguished paleontologist. 
121 
