144 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



eight days from Queenstown, which for the season was admirable. 

 I found Father much better than I had hoped to see him again. He 

 manages to come to the Museum for an hour or so a day, sees a few 

 of his friends every day, and keeps going just enough to be employed. 

 He improves daily, and I see no reason why he should not have a 

 long period of usefulness yet, though of course nothing like his old 

 work can now be expected from him again " 



In March, 1871 he writes (from Cambridge) — "I am just getting 

 out a new edition of the Seaside Studies, which will, however, be a 

 mere reprint." — and in March, 1872, " I hope you will accept the 

 offer to go round the globe, and if you go may you get all the ante- 

 diluvial things left. I am greatly afraid Father's expedition is not 

 going to result as well as we hoped; the vessel is a great disappoint- 

 ment, five weeks out of ten they have spent repairing. They have 

 left Rio, and the next mail trust to hear from them in the Straits of 

 Magellan." 



In April, 1872 he says: — " Don't be alarmed by the number of my 

 epistles. But I wanted to acknowledge at once the safe arrival of 

 the 'Calveria' and of the 'Phormosoma.' I need not tell you how 

 greatly obliged I am to you " 



The "Revision of the Echini" 1 began to appear the year after his 

 return from Europe. This is the best known of the works of Alexander 

 Agassiz and at once stamped the writer as the leading authority on 

 the subject. Part I. deals with the literature, nomenclature, syn- 

 onymy, and geographical distribution of the Echini, and extends to 

 242 pages. Part II. deals with the Echini of the east coast of the 

 United States, including a report on the deep-sea Echini collected in 

 the Straits of Florida by Pourtales in 1867-1869, and extends to 136 

 pages. Part III. contains the descriptions of the species of recent 

 Echini, and extends to 251 pages. Part IV. deals with the structure 

 and embryology of the Echini, and extends to 141 pages. The text 

 thus occupies 770 quarto pages, and is illustrated by seven maps 

 showing the geographical distribution and 87 plates giving full figures 

 and details, in addition to numerous wood-cuts in the text. This 

 Report represents an immense amount of work and close study, and 

 it became the standard for all subsequent investigations dealing with 

 this class of animals. 



» Revision of the Echini. Illustr. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool. (Cambridge, Mass.,) 

 No. VII., 1872-1874; by Alexander Agassiz. It was divided into four parts for pur- 

 poses of publication; Parts I. and II. were issued together in 1872, the Introduction 

 being dated August, 1872, Part III. in September, 1873, and Part IV. in January, 

 1874. 



