90 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 



British Museum, December 30, 1863. 

 Dbar Sir : I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this day's 

 date, and to acquaiut you that the trustees have acceded to the request made 

 by Professor Heury, on behalf of the Smithsonian Institution, and that 1 have 

 instructed Dr. Gray to give you every facility with a view to such electrotype 

 impressions being made for that Institution as are required from our wood 

 engravings illustrative of the conchology of the North American continent. I 

 shall be happy to see you, and to give you any assistance in my power when 

 ever it may be convenient for you to call at the museum, as you propose. 

 Believe me, dear sir, yours truly, 



A. PANIZZI. 

 Dr. P. P. Carpenter. 



31 Pfeidemarket, Hamburg, 



February 4, 1864. 

 Dear Sir : I duly received your very kind letter of the 6th of January, in- 

 forming me that the director of the Smithsonian Institution would have the 

 kindness to send me five of the American pereunibrauchiates for investigation. 

 A few days afterwards the box was delivered into my hands, containing — 



1. Menopoma Alleghaniense. 



2. Menobranchus lateralis. 



3. Siren lacertina. 



4. Amphiuma tridactylum. 



5. Siredon pisciformis. 



All these amphibia being of the greatest importance for my studies, I cannot 

 but express to you my most sincere thanks for this most valuable assistance. 

 YouAvill allow me to pay to your renowned Institution, in the mean time, my thanks 

 for the reports and other valuable works, particularly on the Zoology and Anatomy 

 of Amphibia, published at Washington, and directed to me some years ago. 



I should feel most happy if you would give me a direction how I might pay 

 my thanks in a more material manner. You will, therefore, oblige me very 

 much by informing me of the desiderata in your collections. Perhaps there 

 might be some European fishes or amphibia which I might be able to procure for 

 you. Of sea snakes, which family of snakes I have described some years ago, 

 there are also some few species in my own possession. In minerals I am pretty 

 rich, having the best private collection of this branch that exists in our place. 



It is only on the supposition that I might be able to furnish to the Smithso- 

 nian Institution some equivalent that I take the great, and, perhaps, immodest 

 liberty to mention, that one specimen more of the genera amphiuma, siren, and 

 menopoma, would be of the greatest importance for my studies. It would be 

 very difficult to decide all the anatomical questions concerning the named 

 amphibia after the investigation of only one specimen. Having the intention to 

 describe in a comparative manner the bones, muscles, and nerves of the famous 

 Salamandra Japonica, with relation to the other genera of Ichthyodea, I feel 

 myself in a high degree advanced by the specimens which I owe to your kind- 

 negs, and would be induced to hope that my little work niight not remain quite 

 imperfect, if there would be any chance to acquire still one specimen more of 

 the above-mentioned three genera. 



Finally, you will allow me to say that I am not now in any connexion with 

 the Hamburg Museum, as the address of your letter said, but that, though 

 behig on very friendly relations with the directors of our collections, I have 

 given up my place among them. 



With the highest regards, I am yours, very respectfully, 



Dr. J. G. FISCHER. 



[The specimen requested was sent to Dr. Fischer.] 



