578 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



I needed it the more, as it is almost the first 

 friendly word of that kind I have received 

 from England, and I began to question the 

 humanity of your civilization. . . . Under 

 present circumstances, you can well imagine 

 that I cannot think of leaving Cambridge, 

 even for a few weeks, much as I wish to take 

 some rest, and especially to meet your kind in- 

 vitation. But I feel that I have a debt to 

 pay to my adopted country, and all I can now 

 do is to contribute my share toward maintain- 

 ing the scientific activity which has been 

 awakened during the last few years, and which 

 even at this moment is on the increase. 



I am now at Nahant, on the sea -shore, 

 studying embryology chiefly with reference to 

 paleontology, and the results are most satis- 

 factory. I have had an opportunity already 

 of tracing the development of the representa- 

 tives of three different families, upon the em- 

 bryology of which we had not a single ob- 

 servation thus far, and of making myself 

 familiar with the growth of many others. 

 With these accessions I propose next win- 

 ter seriously to return to my first scientific 

 love. . . . 



I have taken with me to the sea-shore your 

 and Huxley's " Contributions to the Devonian 



