The Water Birds of North America

PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED BIOLOGY OF AMERICAN WATER BIRDS BY FIRST CURATOR OF SMITHSONIAN. Two harcover volumes 10 3/4 inches tall, mustard cloth binding, gilt title to spines, numerous wood engravings throughout. Vol. I, xi, 537 pp; Vol. II, [vi], 552 pp. Fine--as new. SPENCER FULLERTON BAIRD (1823 - 1887) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, ichthyologist, herpetologist, and museum curator. Baird was the first curator to be named at the Smithsonian Institution. He would eventually serve as the second Secretary of the Smithsonian, from 1878 until 1887. He published over 1,000 works during his lifetime. He was dedicated to expanding the natural history collections of the Smithsonian and upon his death, had done so by expanding the collection from 6,000 specimens in 1850 to over 2 million upon his death. Cited by Newton in Science, Technology, and Society in the 19th Century (2001): One of Baird's first projects at the Smithsonian was the creation of the United States National Museum. The museum was the first U.S. agency devoted :o the study of America's animal resources. The museum is known today as the National Museum of Natural History. Because of his poor health, Baird conducted relatively little scientific research himself. Instead, he organized research expeditions, which were carried out by ordinary citizens and young members of the military. He taught these young people what to look for and how to collect specimens. He also provided them with the supplies they needed. Many of the young workers were assigned to the Pacific Railway Survey expedition of the 1850s. The focus of the survey was to study various routes for a new railway system that would extend to the West Coast.

Product Info

Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.

Year: 1884

Type: Used

Binding: Softcover

First Edition

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Country: United States