THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 137 
Mr Hammond Shot in Texas. With a little fixing I can make a 
good specimen out of it. The Col. is to be employed in Mustering 
the Volunteer Companies into Service. 
From Spencer F. Baird to Thomas B. Wilson.” 
CaRLISLE, June 1846? 
Dear SiR:— 
Will you pardon the liberty which I, a stranger to you, have 
taken of writing to express the thanks which the whole scientific 
community of the country owes to you for your unexampled liberality 
in purchasing the splendid collection of birds now in your possession, 
and of placing it in a place so accessible to everyone as the Acad. of 
Phila. For years I have been familiar with it as one containing the 
most complete series of certain families and genera of any in the 
world. The sight of several individual species has been the object 
of my highest ornithological aspiration, as this would have facilitated 
the settlement of various doubtful points in a labor in which I have 
been engaged for several years, viz:—The elucidation of the Synonyms 
of North American birds. Had I gone to Paris, my first visit would 
have been to this collection. Judge then of my delight when I heard 
that it had been brought to our own doors. Heretofore when Ameri- 
can ornithologists wished to do anything in their favorite field of 
science, they were prevented by the want of specimens for comparison, 
and of books for determining the validity of their discoveries. Now, 
if I did not misunderstand Doctor Morton, what in time will probably 
be the finest collection of birds and of ornithological books in the 
world is thrown open to us. I for myself am waiting impatiently 
for the time when your specimens shall be opened and arranged, 
as I have several monographs in preparation, with drawings, which 
I cannot complete until I see those species you possess which are 
10 Thomas Bellerby Wilson, M.D., born in Philadelphia, Jan. 17, 
1807, collector, student of various branches of Natural History, and 
lavish benefactor of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, 
to which he gave immense collections of birds and other specimens 
and considerable sums of money. He was elected President of the 
Academy in 1863, but served only a short time. He was a man of 
great generosity and extreme modesty. He died Mar. 15, 1865. 
