LETTER TO HIS BROTHER. 75 



letter. To his disappointment an accident 

 brought his undertaking to the knowledge of 

 his father and mother before it was completed. 

 He always had a boyish regret that his little 

 plot had been betrayed before the moment for 

 the denouement arrived. The book was writ- 

 ten in Latin and dedicated to Cuvier. 1 



TO HIS BROTHER. 



MUNICH, July 27, 1828. 



. . . Various things which I have begun 

 keep me a prisoner here. Probably I shall 

 not stir during the vacation, and shall even 

 give up the little trip in the Tyrol, which I 

 had thought of making as a rest from occu- 

 pations that bind me very closely at present, 

 but from which I hope to free myself in the 

 course of the holidays. Don't be angry with 

 me for not telling you at once what they are. 

 When you know, I hope to be forgiven for 

 keeping you so long in the dark. I have 

 kept it a secret from papa too, though in his 

 last letter he asks me what is my especial 

 work just now. A few months more of pa- 

 tience, and I will give you a strict account of 



1 Selecta genera et species piscium quos collegit et pingendos 

 curavit Dr. J. W. de Spix. Digessit, descripsit et observa- 

 tionibus illustravit Dr. L. Agassiz. 



