150 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



it. Should I hereafter have an opportunity to present to 

 you a selection of the proofs, I would then leave it with 

 your own enlightened, honest, and honorable mind. 



Mrs. Silliman unites in kindest regards to Mrs. Spring 

 and yourself with, my dear sir, yours. 



Very truly and respectfully, 



B. SILLIMAN. 



Professor Silliman had been in correspondence 

 with Professor Agassiz long before the latter had 

 formed the plan of visiting the United States. Pro- 

 fessor Silliman was wont to say that of his foreign 

 correspondents, it was Agassiz and Mantell that 

 " showed heart as well as head." The early recog- 

 nition of the scientific labors of Agassiz, which 

 reached him " in the midst of his native mountains," 

 from a source so remote, was most grateful to his 

 feelings. 



The letters of Mr. Agassiz are here presented in 

 translations. 



FROM PROFESSOR AGASSIZ. 



SIR, While spending some days this summer with Dr. 

 Mantell at Brighton, I begged him to send you the two 

 first volumes of my researches on fossil fishes. I was then 

 too much occupied with the examination of the magnificent 

 collection of your friend, whom I have now the pleasure of 

 counting among mine, to add to the parcel in writing what 

 I should like to say to you, but the distance which sepa- 

 rates us is too great for me to think of that. 



To-day I send you the third volume of my work. You 

 know so well how few resources the literature of this de- 

 partment of natural history affords us, that I can but hope 

 for a favorable reception of my essay in your country. You 

 would oblige me greatly by giving a little analysis of it in 



