Publication InformationBurlington Dec 7 48

Carlisle

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Dear Baird

If you knew how I groan in spirit at the sight of my mail, you would think it a great compliment, when I say I was, as I always am, glad to receive your letter. I can't reply to it in detail, in regard that, (oh shame on my ignorance!) I don't understand the 'ology part of it. would be better Latina than , which is

the subjective. Send your catalogue to me, & I will give it to Prof. Henry. I send you a Pat. Ref. You-shall have Emory, when I can get it, & I'll send you all the menobranchi, and other evil beasts I can find when I go home. There isn't any Christmas vacation for us poor dogs nowa days. Our mill goes, whether there is any water or no. We only adjourn the day for Yule & one for New Years & work like horses the rest of the time. Dear Mary, don't

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be 'mad' because we didn't go to Carlisle. We wanted to go bad enough, but my old woman has come to be a sad traveler, & can't go except where she must. I hope we shall see you as on our way home. Bring up your baby well, but don't whip it much. I never agreed with Solomon about sparing the rod c. I should not mention it, only I know your disposition, & thought a little caution might not be amiss. I don't believe anything in your husband's icthyometer. There are humpbacked fishes, waynecked fishes, knockkneed fishes, bowlegged fishes,

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just as there are Christians. What, shall men be deformed and fishes symmetrical? It's a libel on the human . Neither is it original. The idea of it was plainly taken, as was also Cuviers system of Comp. Anatomy, from the geometrical plan adopted by the tailors of measuring people for clothes. Well, I guess I'd better be going. Goodbye, Love to your father & mother,

Yours trulyG P Marsh

References in this letter:

Frédéric Cuvier (1769-1832), a French naturalist and pioneer in comparative anatomy, developed a system of zoological classification. He is the author of Des dents de mannifere(1825), a catolog of the comparative anatomy collections at the Museum d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris.