340 THE CLOSE. 



TO THE REV. JAMES HAMILTON, D.D. 



" Woodville, 2.7th February 1856. 



" My dear Sin, — I regretted not having the pleasure of 

 seeing you during my very brief .stay in London. I was 

 obliged to devote myself almost exclusively to the business 

 I had in hand, and when that was over, felt rather too 

 tired to undertake other things. So I came home as soon 

 as possible. I have had rather more than enough to do 

 since I got back. I thought myself just about to be at 

 leisure when the Blackwoods applied to me for an article 

 on the Fishery Board question, which, under the circum- 

 stances, I could scarcely refuse. I got that launched off 

 for the March number of their magazine, and now our 

 worthy representative, Mr Adam Black, has put into my 

 hands two articles (Helminthology and Ichthyology) which 

 it seems I wrote for his 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' long- 

 ago, and which must now be revised for the current edition 

 of the same. Helminthology is required without delay, 

 and so to oblige Black I must do it first and foremost. 



"I wish to know how 'Excelsior' stands. When do 

 you require a short article, or how long can you wait? 

 Which article is it that you most incline to? I think you 

 said you had two- wood-cuts." 



