1850 TO 1865 341 



as complete as possible and in obtaining material for the embryology 

 and metamorphosis of all common animals of which numerous speci- 

 mens may easily be obtained. I shall send Verrill to Lawrence next 

 week to negotiate the purchase of Mr. Martin's California birds. 

 I have lately entered into an arrangement with a backwoodsman 

 for a collection of the fauna over which the Buffalo roves. I have 

 sent a collector to the Feejees to explore that group of islands, and one 

 of my students has gone to Zanzibar to remain there 3 or 4 years to 

 explore the seas between Africa, Arabia and the Deckan. This will 

 give me means for exchanges to obtain faunal collections from other 

 collections. For my "Contributions" only do I propose to go on 

 working systematically and critically at the principles of classifica- 

 tion; but without special reference to the general arrangement of 

 the Museum since any result so obtained can have reference only to 

 one feature of the collection, the rank of the types in their respective 

 classes. 



By the way I have already answered your requests about Echino- 

 derms by informing Stimpson that I would gladly let him have every- 

 thing I possess of that class, provided he gives me an opportunity 

 of examining in my turn everything that he has. I want now only 

 to call your attention to the fact that it would be worth his while 

 to hunt up all the Echinoderms scattered through your storerooms, 

 of which Verrill tells me there is a great quantity, and to send them 

 to me for identification. As I have all the original drawings of the 

 Exploring Expedition I could no doubt make out most of them and 

 thus recover the localities which are carefully noted upon all the 

 drawings. 



Very truly yours, 



L. AGASSIZ. 



From Dr. Henry Bryant to Spencer F. Baird. 



BOSTON, March I5th, 1861. 

 MY DEAR PROF. 



I never received a letter from you that gave me greater pleasure 

 than yours of the twelfth. I have always been afraid from your 

 excessive amiability that there was something wrong in your composi- 

 tion, too much carbonate of soda for example, so that the acidity 



