THE YOUNG PROFESSOR 205 
From Spencer F. Baird to Joseph Henry. 
CaRLISLE, Jan. 26, 1850. 
Dear Sir,— 
The prospects of success in making collections for the 
coming year are unusually bright. In the first place, I have heard 
of a meadow some few miles from Carlisle which, on being ploughed 
for the first time several years ago, exhibited a great number of fossil 
bones, horns of deer, etc. many of them according to my informant 
of the most singular appearance. None of these were preserved but, 
as the ploughing extended only to the depth of six inches, it is certain 
that a subsoil plough would turn up additional quantities. The 
meadow was probably once a bog in which these animals of a past 
race became mired; as is supposed to have been the case with the 
Big Bone Lick of Kentucky, which I hope my new locality will rival, 
if not in the size, at least in the quality of its remains. As soon as 
the snow leaves the surface, I intend by permission of the proprietor 
to have this three-acre meadow ploughed up, so as by the expenditure 
of a few dollars (probably not over five) to obtain an abundant 
harvest of fossil remains. My object is to make the Smithsonian 
Museum eminent above all others American for the value of its 
vertebrate fossil remains, a department in which everything remains 
to be done, although of the very highest zoological and geological 
interest. The collections I have already made under this head far 
outweigh all others of a similar character in all other American 
collections combined. A new bone cave, explored by some of my 
students during Christmas week last, has furnished very valuable 
matter. I hope, thus, ere long to have the material for an entirely 
unique series of papers for the Smithsonian Contributions, to be 
prepared by such person or persons as may be the most competent. 
From Mrs. Lydia M. Baird to Spencer F. Baird. 
Reapinae, Feby. 2nd, 1850. 
My pear Son:— 
I was just thinking that as I was to stay another week in Reading, 
I would answer Mary’s very acceptable letter, when it occurred to 
me that to-morrow would be your birthday, and I concluded to write 
