32 Daniel and Mary Merriman 



As to the pelagic fishes if you think they would be better on woodcuts I have no objection. 

 If you can employ Mr. Cooper 188 Strand to cut the blocks it would be convenient as we shall 

 have an account with him at all events. 



I shall be very glad to see the deep-sea fishes. Of course in this report the interest centres on 

 the distribution and the bathymetrical range of the forms, and I should like it to be as complete 

 in this respect as possible so as to form a basis for future work. 



I would be glad if you would kindly give very full lists of the deep-sea fishes which have been 

 described hitherto, and if you would cause to be figured anew any species taken by us, which 

 have been only described and not figured, which have been badly figured, or which have been 

 figured in not easily accessible books. You are no doubt aware that Agassiz's deep-sea fishes 

 are in Steindachner's hands and now well advanced. As the abyssal fauna is very uniform many 

 of our species are in that series. 



I have heard from several of your London acquaintances that you are in some way dissatisfied 



with the form in which you are receiving the British Museum Series of specimens. I do not 



know what the cause of complaint is, but if there be any it would be better perhaps to refer it 



to myself. I send a proof which happens to be lying before me to show you the form which the 



reports are taking. 



Yrs. faithfully, 



C. Wyville Thomson 



Bonsyde 

 Linlithgow, N.B. 

 Nov. 17, 1879 

 Dear Dr. Giinther: 



Thank you so much for your note. You have not however told me to what the nos. attached 

 to the Shore-fishes in your list refer. Please let me have a post-card as soon as you can. 



I assure you if I had only heard of your supposed dissatisfaction casually or from one source 

 I should have said nothing about it. Since, however, there seems to have been some mistake 

 there is no use in taking further notice of the matter. 



I consider it perhaps the principal part of my duty in connection with the working up of the 

 " Challenger " collection to place the type specimens and whatever else seems necessary for full 

 illustration, of every species, in the British Museum. And this 1 will carry out to the best of 

 my power. As I told you at the time the specimens which you got from Agassiz belong to known 

 species, and to a few new species of which many samples were found — possibly some of them are 

 unnamed, and I sent them to you just as they came as I am aware that each transfer however 

 carefully managed does some little damage, and I did so mainly that some pretty things such as 

 Coelopleurus, Salenia, Asthenosoma, etc., might be seen at once.* You will get the type speci- 

 mens whenever they are figured and described. 



Thank you for your kind reference to my late illness. I fairly broke down with over-work, 



but I am now nearly as well as ever. 



Believe me 



Yrs. faithfully, 



C. Wyville Thomson 



Bonsyde 



Linlithgow, N.B. 

 Feby \3th, 1880 

 Dear Dr. Giinther: 



I send you at last a proof of your report on the Shore-fishes. I thought you would have had it 

 long ago but some other things occupied us very fully for a time. As it turns out however this 

 delay has been of no consequence for it will be a month yet it seems before your plates are 



printed off. '"^ ^ 



What I send you, then, is a first-proof, corrected as far as we could manage it, but still needing 



* See Challenger Report by A. Agassiz, Vol. 3 (Zool.), Pt. IX, 1881. 



