CHAPTER IV. 



EXAMINATIONS OF COLLECTIONS OF NATURAL HISTORY. — PROGRESS 

 OP SCIENCE. — DESCRIPTIONS OF DISTINGUISHED SCIENTISTS.— DE- 

 PARTURE FOR AMERICA. 



In the spring of 1853, Mr. Lea with his family crossed the Apen- 

 nines to Bologna, afterwards visiting Modena, Milan, Padua, Verona, 

 and Venice, where they remained three weeks. Eeturning" to Verona 

 they crossed the Tyrolean Alps to Innspruck, from thence to Lindau, 

 where they took the steamer down the Danube to Vienna.* Here Dr. 

 Lea met a number of his German scientific friends. Haidinger and 

 Von Haur were the first to call upon him and oifer their services. The 

 former said that he was " a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, and therefore Dr. Lea must feel at home in Vienna." 



He introduced him to Professor Horness at the Imperial Academy, 

 who was then engaged on the Tertiary Shells of the Vienna Basin, and 

 to Professor Swess, who was occupied in the minute examination of the 

 BracMopoda. Von Hauer also came, and they had a long conversation 

 on many geological and zoological subjects. 



They then went to the ichthyological department, where he was intro- 

 duced to Professor Heckel, who was examining some magnificent spec- 

 imens of fossil fishes from Monte Bolca. Other professors came in and 

 Dr. Lea was received with a hearty German welcome. Professor Hor- 

 ness showed him some Tertiary shells from Texas, which Dr. Lea recog- 

 nized as the same species which he had from Alabama, showing him 

 the figures in his book, which Professor Horness had in his possession. 



A few days after, he called upon Professor Haidiuger by appointment 

 to meet Professor Von Hauer at the Imperial Geological Institute. The 

 professor, however, was too unwell to leave the house, and detained Dr. 

 Lea nearly three hours, talking over various geological matters and 

 showing him many things of very great interest. 



Subsequently Dr. Lea went to Professor Von Hauer, and they imme- 

 diately commenced the examination of the rocks of Austria. The pro- 

 fessor showed him specimens of great interest, as a formation, which he 

 believed was between the Dias and Trias, differing from them l)oth in its 

 fossil characteristics, but rather more resembling the Trias. It co)i- 

 tained many large Ammonites, Nautili, Orthoceratites, &c. One magnifi- 

 cent >1?h. J/e^e/-H?c///J had the most beautiful chambers which Dr, Lea 

 had ever seen in any specimen of Awwo/ate; it measured 2 feet in diam- 



* While in this city he received informatioa that Harvard University had conferred 

 upon him the degree of LL. D. 



XXVI 



