172 



ANOTHER LOOSE LEAF. 



For five years I had a most valuable zoological correspondent at Cas- 

 sel. He was the most liberal exchanger with whom I ever had any 

 commerce. He usually returned five for one, and all his JVaturalien 

 were so clean, so neatly labelled, so nicely packed — the boxes were so 

 firmly secured — so perfectly protected — his letters were so studiously 

 worded — tlie signature was so precisely written, and his sonorous title 

 "KontroUeur der Staat's Kasse" so conspicuously marked — in a word, 

 all had such a prinky and old maidenly air, that 1 concluded he must 

 either be a bachelor or that his wife helped him in his zoological labors. 

 The wives of naturalists do sometimes aid their husbands , and it was 

 not long ago that a correspondent thus wrote to me : "I find in my wife 

 a most admirable assistant." (He had just been married.) "She writes 

 my labels — copies out in her beautiful and fair hand, my spider track 

 manuscripts — mixes my colors and washes my brushes when 1 wish to 

 draw an animal — sharpens my knives when I am going to dissect, and 

 even this morning, held the leg of a rabbit which ] was skinning — (it 

 was a fresh subject) — she dusts the stuffed specimens so profusely scat- 

 tered round my room, and keeps all things snug. You would not now 

 stumble over that crocodile, nor sweep down with your cloak that bald 

 eagle as you did when you were last here. My work shop is as snug 

 as a parlor, for it has been swept with a new broom. In her anxiety to 

 help me, she sometimes even forgets to give out the meat and vegetables 

 to the cook, so that I have a late dinner, but n' imjwrte, this is one of 

 the saciifices we must make for science." But I have forgotten my 

 German friend and I will return. Well, I mounted up to the fourth story 

 of a large and splendid house to see him. I had gone there in a new 

 two horse barouche — the coachman was in livery — his blue coat was 

 profusely ornamented with silver lace — his breeches were of stainless 

 yellow plush — his boots, the tops of which kissed his knees, were of 

 shining black — his hat was banded with a broad silver stripe and an 

 enormous leather cockade, after the fashion of a peacock's tail, extended 

 four inches above the top of it. I had not ordered such an un-republi- 

 can equipage. I called for a coach and this was brought, and any gen- 

 tleman will be accommodated with the same establishment if he orders 

 a coach in the office of the Hotel des Romischen Kaisen, at Cassel. — 

 AVell, I mounted to the fourtli story and my friend was not at home. — 

 Could not 1 have learned that from the servant below .'' No, for in these 

 large houses, each story is occupied by a different family — each family 

 has its own servant. All you can ascertain below is, on which story 

 your friend lives, and that is usually designated on one of the numerous 



