134 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
a stranger as peculiar, streets very intricate. Many 
cul-de-sacs. Drays of peculiar shape. Scrapers at doors 
have brushes on the sides to clean the edges of boots. 
Some Doctors have speaking tubes from their front doors 
to their sleeping apartments, in order that they may be 
called without disturbing any one else. Granite is much 
used in building houses and abundantly for posts and 
fences.” 
This glimpse of Boston in the forties of the last century 
has its interest. 
On April 16th he left Boston for New Haven, stopping 
overnight at Springfield. He notes that the railroad 
between Hartford and New Haven ‘is wooden, with 
iron bar rails 13/16 inches thick laid on southern pine 
six inches square and about 20 feet long. Costs about 
$25.00 per 1000 feet. The wood is replaced about every 
three years. Road very good. Few or no accidents.” 
After reaching New Haven he called on Professor 
Silliman, the elder, and found Dana and the younger 
Silliman there. He was able to consult Oken’s Isis and 
other desired books, and visited the University library 
and the cabinet of minerals, then the finest in the country, 
with Dana and Silliman, Junior. 
Then to the steamer for New York, noting quantities 
of ducks, a cormorant, a few brant and a loon, in the 
water as they passed into the Sound. 
On returning to Mr. Audubon’s the latter desired 
him to accept any birds he might choose from the Audu- 
bon collection. In regard to this transaction Miss Lucy 
Baird has noted as follows in her reminiscences: 
“IT have often heard my father say that Mr. Audubon 
finding him inclined to be modest in selecting from the 
collection only such birds as he thought Mr. Audubon 
