1850 TO 1865 351 
To Robert Kennicott from Spencer F. Baird. 
Wasw’n. April 13, 1861. 
Dear RoBert:— 
Having just finished the last of the special letters to the gentle- 
men of H. B. Service in the McKenzie River District, I close up by a 
supplementary letter to you. All the work of sending supplies to 
you has been completed; the six boxes 1—6 for the regions north of 
Athabasca are all ready in Saint Paul, and the other five boxes and 
the 12 alcohol tanks with other supplies will be there also in time, 
I hope, for the Spring brigades. Everything you have even hinted 
at has been sent. I have written Special letters to everybody and 
more, too. Sent such huge lots of books to Norway House as ought 
to induce Mr. Sinclair to send everything off even if our letters do 
not do it, and have a delightful sense of completion and relief. As 
to alcohol, the 20 or 30 gallons last year and 40 this of 95%, and the 
80 Ibs. arsenic with 40 or 50 last year ought to stop your vociferous 
adjurations for preservatives. Each tank (furnished by Prof. Agassiz) 
holds three gallons, which by dilution may readily be brought to 5. 
This, though marked “Poison,” is not so; perfectly pure. Kreosote 
has been poured on the outside of the cans to make them “Smell” 
bad. 
T enclose key for chest No. 1 which I had omitted; also a second 
steel rule. 
I hope you will impress on all the gentlemen of the service the 
importance of using the drill in emptying eggs, and of making as 
small holes as possible. Also of wrapping each larger egg in paper, 
twisted around it, or in cotton to prevent crushing. Moss is not 
good for the purpose, as it works into the holes and leaves cavities, 
which allow the specimens to knock about. If opened with the drill, 
the eggs will, however, be less likely to break in the contact. A 
well prepared egg, to the amateur is worth ten times as much as one 
with big holes, many persons refusing to have the latter, however 
rare on any terms. Try to get many specimens of Colymbus Adamsii, 
the big loon with white bill, as also of the little whitewavy, and 
your supposed Anser and albatross; there has been a strong demand 
for them from Europe, which, however, we have not at all supplied, 
having distributed the specimens at home. 
