OBITUARY NOTICES. 
483 
to prove that he might readily have attained eminence in 
that pursuit had he chosen it as a profession. Appreciating 
the importance of observing every detail which could elu¬ 
cidate the habits or distribution of a species, his descriptions 
are replete with interesting notes, which add greatly to their 
value, and he was equally successful in discussing structure 
and relations. 
This brief sojourn at the Smithsonian Institution was fruit¬ 
ful in many ways, and the relations then established with Pro¬ 
fessor Baird, soon ripening into a warm and lasting friend¬ 
ship, were instrumental in finally severing his connection 
with the navy. In fact, a career in natural history seems 
at that time to have been seriously considered by him, if we 
may judge from the elaborate plans prepared for an expedi¬ 
tion to the Antarctic regions, under the auspices of the Insti¬ 
tution, which was to have been in his charge. Circum¬ 
stances, however, delayed the execution of this project, and 
it was finally abandoned. 
The first published record indicating Dr. Kidder’s in¬ 
terest in, hygiene is contained in his report as surgeon of 
the steamer Alliance during 1878. This paper states in 
forcible terms the requirements for a healthy ship, and 
closes with a “ Memorandum of a partial examination of 
the impurities of the air on board the Alliance,” and con¬ 
tains also ‘a description of the apparatus improvised for 
the occasion. The simplicity of these methods of obtain¬ 
ing condensed moisture and of securing the impurities 
of the air on small glass slips and watch-crystals led the 
author to suggest the propriety of supplying similar outfits, 
with some additional appliances, to all naval vessels—a rec¬ 
ommendation which was soon adopted and carried out. 
In 1879 there was started in Washington, under the charge 
of Dr. Kidder, a small naval laboratory, consisting in the 
beginning of only a single room, and intended primarily for 
the special examinations which he had recently proposed. 
The limited amount of money available for the purpose 
made it necessary to resort to very crude appliances, but in 
