Hyatt.] 564 [April 18, 



distant, and it would be as greatly to the advantage of the govern- 

 ment, as to the associated institutions themselves, if Woods Holl 

 should ever become a centre of research. 



The Fish Commission has been a direct aid to the collections of 

 the Society. Opportunities for procuring New England fishes, and 

 also New England Invertebrata, especially Porifera, were freely 

 given to the curator by the officers of the commission, and the 

 collections then made are in our Museum. 



The first efforts of the Teachers' School of Science were much 

 facilitated by the kindness of Professor Baird, who allowed the cu- 

 rator to take away all the waste materials of the shallow water 

 dredging expeditions of the Fish Commission and thus hundreds 

 of specimens were provided in 1871, for the large classes of the 

 school and afterwards given away to teachers. The curator also 

 received in common with many other scientific men opportunities 

 for study and research at Woods Holl, which were of great value 

 to him personally. In fact, the work of the Fish Commission, like 

 that of all other departments conducted by this remarkable man, 

 helped the interests of science and of scientific men in every pos- 

 sible way. 



Professor Baird, though not a genius in the sense ol having made 

 great discoveries, was nevertheless a leader among the systema- 

 tists of his time, and founded what has been called by eminent au- 

 thorities, the Bairdian school of S}'stematic zoology ; though not 

 a professional teacher, he really taught successfully in the greatest 

 of schools, that in which the legislators of a nation and their con- 

 stituents were the students ; though not brilliant in conversation 

 or eloquent as a speaker, he yet induced Congress to follow his lead 

 and adopt his suggestions for upwards of thirty years and steadily 

 gained in power and influence during that time ; though not the or- 

 ganizer of the Smithsonian, he loyally seconded his principal, and 

 made that institution far more powerful for good than it could have 

 otherwise become ; though not a geologist, his work, care, and ad- 

 vice greatly assisted the men who laid the foundations of the geo- 

 logical, surve}'s ; though onty a student well versed in Ethnology, 

 it was largely his work which opened the way and finally led to 

 the establishment of the Ethnological Bureau. Upon this already 

 magnificent pedestal stand the giant figures of the two institu- 

 tions we owe to him, the National Museum, and the Commission of 

 Fish and Fisheries, backed by their collections, buildings and pub- 



