X PREFACE. 



diary. I soon fell into the habit of giving her daily the 

 more general results of my scientific observations, knowing 

 that she would allow nothing to be lost which was worth 

 preserving. In consequence of this mode of working, 

 our separate contributions have become so closely inter- 

 woven that we should hardly know how to disconnect 

 them, and our common journal is therefore published, 

 with the exception of a few unimportant changes, almost 

 as it was originally written. In this volume I have at- 

 tempted only to give such an account of my scientific 

 work and its results as would explain to the public what 

 were the aims of the expedition, and how far they have 

 been accomplished. It is my hope to complete a work, 

 already begun, on the Natural History, and especially on 

 the Fishes of Brazil, in which will be recorded not only 

 my investigations during the journey and those of my 

 assistants in their independent excursions, but also the 

 researches now regularly carried on in connection with 

 the immense Brazilian collections stored in the Museum 

 at Cambridge. This must, however, be the slow labor 

 of many years, and can only be published very gradually. 

 In the mean time I hope that this forerunner of the more 

 special reports may serve to show that our year in Brazil, 

 full as it was of enjoyment for all the party, was also rich 

 in permanent results for science. 



L. AGASSIZ. 



