LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



ciety,) at whose suggestion I believe it was made. Had it 

 been 200 per annum, it would have enabled me to retire 

 to some cheaper locality, and give up my profession. As it 

 is, however, I am very thankful for the distinction. Lord 

 Rosse begged me to understand, that both he and Lord 

 Derby felt reluctance in offering me so small a gratuity ; 

 but had they waited till the fund was larger, they might 

 have failed altogether. 



FROM DR. MANTELL/* 



October 11, 1852. 



T HAVE of late been suffering more than usual. 



I have not got from home, save for a day together, since 

 the spring ; and now the weather is too cold and damp, so 

 I must grumble on ; and should I live till spring, must 

 then make an effort and endeavor to breathe pure air once 

 more. You will perceive by this outline of an anodonta 

 from the Wealden of Sussex, what a noble addition we 

 have made to the Naiads of the Iguanodon River. Six or 

 seven specimens have been found on the Sussex coast, near 

 Hastings. Mr. Lea saw our specimen, and said it was a 

 fac-simile of one of your Ohio species. I had a letter from 

 Mr. Lea last week. He had been at the meeting of natu- 

 ralists at Wiesbaden, and was much delighted with all he 

 saw and heard, and with the reception he met with from the 

 assembled savans. You have put it out of my power to be 

 any longer a disinterested judge of the expediency of pub- 

 lishing your travels ; for I will say, in all sincerity, that I 

 should appreciate the kindness and distinction you proffer 

 in the highest degree. But when I did not think of such a 

 kindness on your part, I had, as you know, felt convinced 

 that you ought to publish your observations on men and 

 things in England and the Continent, after an interval of 

 forty years. Such a privilege falls to the lot of but few, 



and in my opinion ought not to be thrown away 



* This was the last letter of Dr. Mantell to Professor Silliman. F. 



