The Presentation of the Diplodocus 255 



the Staff of the institution, is of English extraction, 

 and a graduate of the University of Cambridge. In 

 spite of the fact that he has seen many a winter pass 

 over his head, he has lost none of the spirit of the boy, 

 and his cheerful humor and merry laugh are contagious. 

 There was no stiff formality accompanying our intro- 

 duction, but we instantly were made to feel that we 

 were friends, and as such taken at once to his heart. 

 Nothing could have been more delightfully frank and 

 free than his reception of the two strangers, who, like the 

 Greeks of old, had invaded his domain, bearing not a 

 wooden horse, but the skeleton of a still more fearsome 

 beast; a beast, nevertheless, which concealed no danger 

 lurking behind .its ribs. A few days after the return of 

 the good Doctor, I was approached by one of the mem- 

 bers of the Academy of Science, who requested me to 

 make no engagements for the evening of the I5th 

 of October, because at that time the Academy had 

 resolved to have me as their guest at a function to which 

 I might expect shortly to receive a formal invitation. 

 This in due time came to hand. On the evening of the 

 same day upon which I had the pleasure of meeting 

 the President in Buenos Aires, I repaired according to 

 the invitation to the Sportsman's Hotel in La Plata, 

 where the large dining-room on the upper floor had been 

 made ready, and where were gathered the members of 

 the Academy of Science, including the entire Faculty 

 of the Museum. Greetings were exchanged with the 

 company of distinguished men, all of whom I had 

 already come to cherish in my thought as true friends. 

 Then we found our places at the table, the decorations 

 of which were at once beautiful and provocative of 

 mirth. There were flowers, beautiful flowers, and in 

 the center of the table was a model of the Diplodocus, 



