214 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
Here and in the region round about a vigorous fishing 
campaign was carried on. August 6th he left Mrs. 
Baird and her daughter to return direct to Carlisle while 
he proceeded on a collecting trip through southern Ontario 
and Quebec. He returned to the United States August 
15th and by way of Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Geneva and 
Seneca Lakes to New York and thence to the Meeting 
of the American Association at New Haven. He was 
elected Permanent Secretary of the Association with a 
salary of $300.00 and travelling expenses. This salary, 
however, was dependent on the receipts of the Association 
from dues, which were not always sufficient. On the 29th 
of August, after settling some business of the Association 
he returned to Carlisle. 
From George P. Marsh to Spencer F. Baird. 
ConsTANTINoPLE, Aug. 23, 1850. 
My DEAR OLD YOUNG FRIEND:— 
I was fully resolved not to write to you until I could say, “here- 
with I send a cask of fish,” but yours of July 7th which I have just 
received is irresistible. However, I don’t anticipate much, for I 
have been collecting the small fish of the Bosphorus for several weeks 
and have now about 20 species, with ten or twelve individuals of a 
kind, in spirits. They will be sent to Smyrna next week and be 
shipped from there about the middle of September. The larger fish 
are interesting, but I don’t know what to do with them. There are 
many lizards and salamanders, but the lizards are almost impossible 
to catch, and besides the people are afraid of them. Scorpions are 
not yet in season. They will be plenty in October, I have a good 
many snails and some bulimi I suppose, that hibernate in summer. 
What ignorant wretches! It’s a real Hibernicism, isn’t it. I shall 
pick you up all the rubbish I can, but I think I shall only send the 
fishes next week and keep the rest to fill a box. The other day, I 
found my fisherman had caught a dozen fish whose sting is poisonous, 
