22 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



specimens I had sent to the Smithsonian Institution. 

 So with these I started for the Post, where I 

 found a reception in progress in honor of the 

 noted guest. 



I was introduced to the venerable botanist by his 

 own son, who spoke to him in French, as he was 

 almost deaf. When I displayed my sketches, he 

 took me to one side, and in a corner of the room I 

 told him the story of my discoveries. His eyes 

 shone when he examined the drawings. " This is 

 a new species," he said, " and this, and this. Here 

 is one described and illustrated from poorer ma- 

 terial." 



I do not remember how long we talked. I only 

 know that the golden moments sped by all too 

 rapidly; and from that hour until his death in 1889 

 we were in constant correspondence. 



After this all my collections were sent to him for 

 description. Over four hundred species of plants 

 like those of our existing forests along the Mexican 

 Gulf, some beautiful vines, a few ferns, and even 

 the fruit of a fig, and a magnolia flower petal, the 

 only petal so far found in the coarse sandstone of 

 the Dakota Group, have rewarded my earnest ef- 

 forts. The fragrance of this lovely flower seems 

 wafted down to us through the myriads of ages 

 since it bloomed. 



Dr. Arthur Hollick, in his paper, " A Fossil Petal 



