LIFE AT THE SOUTH. 493 



The cottage stood within hearing of the wash 

 of the waves, at the head of the long, hard 

 sand beach which fringed the island shore for 

 some three or four miles. There could hardly 

 be a more favorable position for a naturalist, 

 and there, in the midst of their specimens, 

 Agassiz and his band of workers might con- 

 stantly be found. His studies here were of 

 the greater interest to him because they con- 

 nected themselves with his previous researches, 

 not only upon the fishes, but also upon the 

 lower marine animals of the coast of New 

 England and of the Florida reefs ; so that he 

 had now a basis for comparison of the fauna 

 scattered along the whole Atlantic coast of 

 the United States. The following letter gives 

 some idea of his work at this time. 



TO PROFESSOR JAMES D. DANA. 



Charleston, January 26, 1852. 



My dear Friend, — You should at least 

 know that I think of you often on these 

 shores. And how could I do otherwise when 

 I daily find new small Crustacea, which remind 

 me of the important work you are now pre- 

 paring on that subject. 



Of course, of the larger ones there is nothing 

 to be found after Professor Gibbes has gone 



