658 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



story-book than he by the pictures which this 

 erudite work called up. 



AGASSIZ TO OSWALD HEER. 



CAMBRIDGE, May 12, 1868. 



MY HONORED COLLEAGUE, Your beauti- 

 ful book on the Fossil Arctic Flora reached 

 me, just as I was recovering from a tedious 

 and painful illness. I could, therefore, take it 

 in hand at once, and have been delighted with 

 it. You give a captivating picture of the suc- 

 cessive changes which the Arctic regions have 

 undergone. No work could be more valuable, 

 either as a means of opening recent investi- 

 gations in Paleontology to the larger public, 

 or of advancing science itself. If I can find 

 the time I mean to prepare an abridgment in 

 popular form for one of our reviews. Mean- 

 time I have written to Professor Henry, Su- 

 perintendent of the Smithsonian Institution 

 at Washington, that he should subscribe for a 

 number of copies to be distributed among less 

 wealthy establishments. I hope he will do 

 this, and I shall continue to urge it, since my 

 friendly relations with him give me a right so 

 to do. I have, moreover, written to the direc- 

 tors of various prominent institutions, in order 

 that your work, so far as is possible for works 



