LETTERS FROM PROFESSOR AGASSIZ. 153 



talent of the Professor. I feel much flattered that you can, 

 under such circumstances, remember my work on fossil 

 fishes. You must accept, my dear sir, my sincere thanks, 

 also, for the trouble that you have taken, and may still take, 

 to procure subscriptions for me. I do not despair of being 

 able some day to testify my gratitude to you personally. A 

 fortnight ago I finished the eighth and ninth volumes, 

 perhaps they are already in your possession. I doubt not 

 that you have received the seventh also, though you do not 

 mention it in your letter. As to the third, that you wrote 

 me had not reached you, I shall hasten to send it to you, 

 but I must first let you know that it has appeared without 

 text, so that if you have the plates the work is complete. 

 Will you write me, if you please, on this subject, so that I 

 can send you that which is wanting. 



Mr. Redfield, member of the Lyceum of Natural History 

 in New York, has been kind enough to send me this spring 

 his paper on fossil fishes, which he has described and 

 determined .with uncommon talent. It is, without doubt, 

 the same that you mention. For the sake of science, it is 

 greatly to be wished that this skilful naturalist should con 

 tinue his researches, which seem to me destined to throw 

 great light on the relative ages of the soils of Europe 

 and America. I am at present occupied with a detailed 

 description of the Echinoderms. I should be infinitely 

 obliged to you, if possessing or being able to dispose of 

 any remarkable species not yet described of these animals 

 either living or fossil, you would have the kindness to send 

 them to me. I would endeavor to keep them as little 

 while as possible, and to preserve them from every sort of 

 injury. 



NEUFCHATEL, 12th November, 1837. 



FROM PROFESSOR AGASSIZ. 



MY HONORED FRIEND, I received some time ago the 

 numbers of your Journal which were wanting, and it has 



