1850 TO 1865 325 



extraneous matters, so much so as almost to drive me frantic in the 

 desire to do something in science. I have not been able to send the 

 specimens from my last Summer's collections as promised, simply 

 because I have not had time to unpack the kegs containing them. 

 I hope, however, that as the skies are becoming clearer, we shall 

 soon settle down into our old routine. By the way, I have been noti- 

 fied that Prof. Poey of Havana, has sent us a set of the Cyprinodonts 

 described in his book. If you have not got them, you shall have a 

 series when they arrive. We have also a couple of big garfish from 

 the South at your service when you feel garfishy. 



I have read your articles in Silliman on Western fishes, etc. with 

 great pleasure and profit, nor felt offended at any of the references 

 to myself. No one has the right to object to a candid criticism of a 

 scientific work, and I hope never to do so. I trust that any error of 

 youth and immaturity of investigation may be corrected by time and 

 continued study; and no one has a humbler opinion of my ability 

 and results. I, however, cannot acknowledge having entered into 

 a scramble for priority of discovery, and feel certain that whenever 

 I have had the opportunity, I have discountenanced such action. 

 What I may have done in this way has been strictly official and in 

 behalf of other parties, when after completing an elaborate descrip- 

 tion, I have published the specific characters at once to secure priority 

 to the parties, not to myself. Without such encouragement to effort, 

 the expeditions in the field would do little or nothing and Science 

 thus would lose all their results. Were I to wish a connection of my 

 own name with species, there are hundreds in our collections which 

 could be characterized and named, but I rigorously refuse to do this 

 myself or to allow it to others. I have it is true published character- 

 istics of new specimens of genera and species of N. Am. frogs in brief 

 terms, but these were purely the essential characters taken from a 

 Mss. ready that moment to put to press and containing matter for 

 over one hundred pages which had occupied me eight months in 

 preparation. Circumstances prevented its publication, however, at 

 that time. 



I am glad to learn that you have got into your new house and 

 are so comfortably fixed. I too, have gone into the housekeeping 

 line within a month or two, and like it very much, though it is terribly 

 expensive! 



