202 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



to zoological characters and to geological de- 

 posits. . . . 



The next letter from Agassiz to his influen- 

 tial friend is written after his final acceptance 

 of the Neuchatel professorship. 



AGASSIZ TO HUMBOLDT. 



PARIS, July, 1832. 



... I would most gladly have answered 

 your delightful letter at once, and have told 

 you how smoothly all has gone at Neuchatel. 

 Your letters to M. de Coulon and to General 

 von Pfiiel have wrought marvels; but they 

 are now inclined to look upon me there as a 

 wonder from the deep, 1 and I must exert my- 

 self to the utmost lest my actual presence 

 should give the lie to fame. It is all right. 

 I shall be the less likely to relax in devotion 

 to my work. 



The real reason of my silence has been that 

 I was unwilling to acknowledge so many evi- 

 dences of efficient sympathy and friendly en- 

 couragement by an empty letter. I wished 

 especially to share with you the final result of 

 my investigations on the fossil fishes, and for 

 that purpose it was necessary to revise my 



1 Ein blaues Meerwunder. 



