BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ISAAC LEA, LL. D. XXIX 



that was original in liis works." He cousidered him " too theoretical 

 and not very correct." De la Beche he greatly preferred. Of Veriieuil 

 he could not say too much m his praise. He considered him perhaps 

 the best of all European geologists. Of Elie de Beaumont his opinion 

 was not so favorable. He thought him " too speculative, and not so 

 much to be relied upon for his opinions as Yernenil." "vlurchison he 

 thought " a very good geologist, but not equal to De la Beche." He 

 agreed with Dr. Lea that the English geologists had too much neglected 

 organic remains, and that they still felt the disadvantage of such 

 neglect. He expressed great desire to have correct sections of that 

 portion of the American continent which is embraced in the United 

 States, that is, elevations from the sea as well as geological strata. 

 He expressed great regret at not seeing more of Dr. Lea, but the fetes 

 attendant upon the marriage of the King's daughter rendered it neces- 

 sary for him to spend much of his time at the court for the present. 

 Subsequently Dr. Lea called on Professor Lichtensteiu, to whom he had 

 a letter of special introduction from Prince Maximilian. He showed 

 Dr. Lea the museum in the university over which he presided. The 

 collections here are very fine, particularly that in ornithology, there 

 being none superior to it, unless it be that of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences at Philadelphia. In ichthyology, mammalogy, reptilia, &c., 

 the arrangement was very good. The professor introduced Dr. Lea 

 to some of his assistants, and very kindly offered his services. The 

 day following he called, by appointment, at the university, when 

 Professor Lichtensteiu introduced him to Johannes Miiller, to whom he 

 had several letters. This eminent physiologist was engaged at the 

 time on the embryology of the Asteria, and he showed Dr. Lea some 

 of the plates which he had prepared for his forthcoming, work. 



In the zoological department he was shown the fluviatile mollusca 

 brought from the interior of Africa by Mr. Peters. Dr. Lea observed 

 among them a new Iridina, and two or three Uniones, as well as sev- 

 eral Paludina. 



Having letters from Professors Leonard and Haidinger to Professor 

 George Kose, Dr. Lea called on him. He was the most eminent miner- 

 alogist of Berlin. He spoke most favorably of Professor Dana's Miner- 

 alogy, mentioning that he used it constantly. Of Professor Haidinger 

 he said he considered him " the founder of the jjresent success of sci- 

 ence in Germany." Dr. Lea saw Professor Weiss, who presides over 

 the chair of geology in the university, and after spending half an 

 hour with him in his library he went over the fine collection of miner- 

 als belonging to the academy. The crystallographical department was 

 very superior. A dodecahedron garnet was seven inches in diameter. 

 Among the fossil bones, Dr. Lea observed a lower jaw of Dr. Godinan's 

 Tetracaulodon, with the foramen on the right side, quite two inches in 

 diameter. It came from the United States. There were also beautiful 



