358 SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD 
In February, 1863, Professor Louis Agassiz was elected 
one of the Board of Regents, visited Washington and 
under the guidance of Baird was familiarized with the 
workings of the Institution. 
During these last years (and as it turned out for many 
years later) the Professor was much assisted by an intelli- 
gent and trustworthy colored man, Solomon G. Brown, 
and references to Solomon appear frequently in the 
Journal. For faithful service of long duration his name 
should be recorded. He became a leader among his 
people in the colored colony, Hillsdale, across the Ana- 
costia river, and died much regretted at an advanced age. 
Mrs. Baird’s health continued to be very precarious. 
The following letter from Kennicott to one of his 
northern allies of the Hudson Bay Company illustrates 
the temperament of the writer and the character of his 
plans: 
From Robert Kennicott to R. McFarlane. 
Wasurneton, D. C., April 29, 1863. 
My pear MacFartane: 
What the do you and Lockhart mean? Golden eagles’ 
eggs! quoth he? Rock ptarmigans and eggs! Golden plover’s eggs! 
Somateria V-nigra! Now just draw it a little more mild can’t you? 
Where are you coming to do you think at that rate? 
Eggs of Plectrophanes pictus and lapponicus you seem to think 
no great shells of. 
Until I saw your and Lockhart’s registers I was always regretting 
that I had not staid longer at the North. Now, while I regret the 
lost fun, I console myself by the thought that so far as the interests 
of science are concerned you have done all that I could. The depreca- 
tory tone in which you and Lockhart announce an ornithological and 
oological collection superior to all that Ross and all of us had gotten 
before, is quite ludicrous. Ifyou call such collections poor I’d mightily 
like to see what you call good! 
