232 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
in the evening. In those days a young student of science 
was a doubtful character in the minds of many good 
people, was suspected of designs on religion and, unless 
he attended church regularly, of unknown but dreadful 
tendencies to dissipation. Rumors spread, and multiplied 
as they spread, of awful doings in the Megatherium Club. 
Well-meaning neighbors carried the tales to the Baird 
household. Miss Lucy, despite her youth, assumed, like 
her mother, a maternal attitude toward these young 
gentlemen whom she knew so well, and took occasion to 
inform them of the reports, doubtless with a gentle 
intimation that the reputation of the Smithsonian coterie 
was in danger. At a later meeting of the club it was 
decided to sacrifice their refreshments to the general 
good. 
The next morning early, Kennicott appeared at the 
Baird home with a basket of live hens. Miss Lucy, 
responding to the call, was told that the birds were a 
present to her from the club. Very naturally she enquired 
why she should be the recipient. Kennicott explained 
that the hens laid eggs, that without eggs there could 
be no egg nog, and that from a fear lest the good resolution 
of the club should weaken, and in view of her warning, 
it had been voted to give the hens away, and she had been 
selected as the most suitable person to receive them. 
With the outbreak of war in 1861 great changes took 
place in Washington, socially as well as politically. The 
native Washington set, mostly sympathizing with the 
South, largely withdrew themselves from the few social 
functions available. The uncertainties of the. conflict 
tended to restrict festivities of any kind, and the shrinkage 
of its income due to depreciation of the currency had a 
marked effect on the activities of the Smithsonian. Some 
