LETTERS FROM PROFESSOR AGASSIZ. 151 



your Journal. The preface will give you the most concise 

 resume of what I have done, and the results I have obtained. 

 A journey in England this year has added largely to the 

 number of species which I knew, and which now reaches 

 eight hundred. I should be greatly interested also to learn 

 more of the fossil fishes of America, which I find noticed 

 in the " Manuals of Geology," and respecting some of which 

 your Journal has given us valuable information. For a long 

 time I have thus found myself connected with you, but this 

 is the only connection I have with America, and I should 

 think myself very fortunate if this intellectual exchange 

 should become more intimate and direct. I should like 

 especially to ask you for some details as to the discoveries 

 on the subject of fossil fishes brought to light by the active 

 geological researches of the past year. If on my part I can 

 be of any service to you in the little corner where I dwell, 

 I pray you to make use of me. A few months ago, Mr. 

 Studer at last published his Geology of the Bernese Alps. 

 It is an important addition to general geology, on account 

 of the new and curious facts which it contains. Are you 

 already acquainted with it ? Even our Jura chain acquires 

 a new interest for geological theories since we have dis 

 covered over a large area soils of the lower cretaceous for 

 mation, resting upon the upper rocks of the Jura. It is very 

 singular that the rocks which have given their name to the 

 whole formation, have now an exceptional character, and 

 that their equivalents are found so far from the surface of 

 our globe, with a very similar paleontological character. I 

 know, for example, several species of squalus, whose teeth 

 are found at Brighton, in Belgium, the environs of Paris, 

 Bohemia, in Westphalia, in Switzerland, and in America. 

 The study of fossils has made such rapid progress in your 

 country, that we on the Continent find great trouble in fol 

 lowing you, especially when, like myself, deprived of books, 

 and obliged once a year to go to the large cities to read 

 them. My intention is to return to England next year, and 



