PROFESSOR AGASSIZ ON ICHTHYOLITES. 133 



The work, when finished, will consist of twelve parts ; and form 

 three volumes in quarto of descriptive matter, and one folio, of two 

 hundred and fifty Plates. It may be considered, with respect to 

 Vertebrated Animals, as a complement to the celebrated Recherckes 

 €ur les Os Fossiles, of Cuvier, and the Petrefacta Musei Bonnensis, 

 of Goldfuss. We shall procure, as soon as ])ossible, the early livrau 

 sons of this valuable publication, and present an analytical notice 

 of them to our readers. 



Our zealous townsman, Mr. Weaver, of the Natural History 

 Museum, possesses, by the liberality of J. Greaves, Esq., a most 

 beautiful and interesting specimen of fossil fish, lately discovered 

 in a stone-quarr\ , belonging to that gentleman, near Stratford- 

 upon-Avon. Professor Agassiz, who obtained a knowledge of the 

 existence of this specimen, and the loan of it for the purpose of his 

 work, through the medium of Professor Buckland, of Oxford, has 

 recently returned it to Mr. Weaver, with a most gratifying letter, 

 of which we subjoin a translation ; * and several impressions of the 

 splendid drawing upon stone, which has been made from it under 

 the eye of the Neuchatel Professor. Of this drawing, a reduced 

 but very correct copy, executed by Mr. Underwood, is given in our 

 present number. The Ichthyolite, in question, appears to be an 

 unique specimen of a new species of the genus Tetragonolepis, so 

 named from the four^angled (tetragonal) figure of the scales. The 

 circumstance, from which the specific designation angulifer, — a 

 Latin adjective literally signifying angle-bearing, — applied to it by 

 Professor Agassiz, is not equally obvious or comprehensible. 



Birmingham, Septr. 1835. 



• Sir, — In returning to you the fossil fish which you had the kindness to 

 confide to my care, I take the liberty of transmitting to you some copies of 

 the drawing which I have published in my work. It is, unquestionablj'^, one 

 of the finest specimens of fossil fish with which I am acquainted. It has 

 proved the more valuable, as it is^ a new species, of which I know no other 

 specimen but that which you possess. 



Accept, Sir, with my thanks, the assurances of my distinguished con- 

 sideration. 



L. AGASSIZ. 



Oxford, August 9th, 1835. 



