272 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
put up by his own hands. During the summer he travelled 
considerably. Owing to an epidemic of cholera, the 
Cincinnati meeting of the American Association (with 
many other meetings) was not held, leaving him relatively 
free. He made a long journey through New England and 
visited Professor Agassiz. During his travels, as usual, 
he made large collections especially of fishes. At Concord 
he called on R. W. Emerson and met H. D. Thoreau. On 
his return to Washington in November, Dr. William 
Stimpson, who was to accompany the Ringgold and 
Rodgers North Pacific Exploring Expedition, reported for 
duty at the Smithsonian. The latter part of the year he 
was busy with the study of American snakes and 
batrachia. 
S. F. Baird to George P. Marsh at Constantinople. 
WasHINGTON, Jan. 20, 1852. 
My pear Mr. Marso:— 
Do not measure my affection by the length of the epistles I 
write, but inversely. If I had a dozen hands, I would keep one going 
all the time in writing news to you, but I haven’t, and so I must be 
content with one every month. My business here is such an unvary- 
ing round of the same thing that I never have anything novel to 
communicate, and I never could tell of the affairs of other people. 
We are getting along very well at the Institution, the Regents well 
satisfied and I think quite proud of us. The departure of Mr. Hillard 
was supplied by Mr. Meacham of Middlebury, Vt., whom I have 
not yet seen as he has attended no meetings. The Board has been 
in session for several weeks, and will probably meet half a dozen 
times before finishing. I hope they will raise my salary to 2000 or 
more. I am not very conceited, but I think that any one who rises 
betimes, to the business of any body, and falls asleep at night over 
its work averaging 12 hours a day constant employment in winter 
and 15 in summer deserves more and earns more than from mere 
