1842.] THE NATIONAL INSTITUTION. 137 



this Vattemare who has trouhlcd them so much, tell them that your dear and beau- 

 tiful country is ever the object of his sincere devotion, and tlie subject of his most 

 sacred thoughts. 



Believe in the sentiments of respect and thanks with which I am, your servant 



and friend, ALEXANDRE VATTEMARE. 



To Dr. Linn, Senator of the United States. 



Copy of tJte letter of Mr. Dufresnoy. 



Royal School of Mines, Paris, September 18, 1841. 



Sir : The specimen of oxide of iron, taken from the mountains of Missouri, which 

 Senator Linn, at your request, has sent to the School of Mines, arrived a few days 

 since at Havre, and has already become the ornament of our collections. In tho 

 name of the council of the school, I thank you for this magnificent specimen. Not- 

 withstanding its almost gigantic dimensions, (sixty-six millimetres in diameter,) it 

 is complete in all its parts. From a careful examination of it, we are led to believe 

 that the mountains of Missouri contain masses of iron which will compete with 

 the most beautiful mines of Danimoura, in Sweden, which furnish the iron most 

 esteemed in Europe. Besides its interest in a mineralogical point of view, the pre- 

 sent of Mr. Linn is highly esteemed by us, because it commences the system of 

 exchange which you have sought to establish between all the nations of the New 

 and the Old Continents, and which alone can secure the completion of our collec- 

 tions. Bo assured, sir, that the professors of the School of Mines take great in- 

 terest in the success of your enterprise, so useful to science, and will concur in 

 it by transmitting to you specimens of mineralogy and geology, for the foreign 

 museums that may wish to enter the field which you have opened with so much 

 devotion. 



Even before we were apprised of the kind intentions of Mr. Linn, the School of 

 Mines had delivered to Mr. D. B. Warden, former Consul General of the United 

 States at Paris, and correspondent of the Academy of Science, at his request, a box 

 of specimens of mineralogy, to be deposited in the cabinet of the National Institu- 

 tion at Washington. The School of Mines will not, however, confine itself to their 

 first transmission of specimens ; and it hopes that, through your care, the exchanges 

 will become more frequent. 



Be pleased, sir, to accept the assurances of my most distinguished consideration. 



(Signed) DUFRESNOY. 



Mons. Alexandre Vattemare. 



From Dr. E. Foreman, of Baltimore: Communicating a paper on 

 the subject of exchanges of conchological specimens. 



From Rev. R. R. Gurley, Washington : Suggesting to the Na- 

 tional Institution the advantage of purchasing the Indian Museum of 

 the late Colonel Hook, U. S. Army. 



From T. Purrington, Washington. 



From W. Darlington, M. D., West-Chester, Pennsylvania. 



