202 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



to zoological characters and to geological de- 

 posits. . . . 



The next letter from Agassiz to his influen- 

 tial friend is written after his final acceptance 

 of the Neuchatel professorship. 



AGASSIZ TO HUMBOLDT. 



PARIS, July, 1832. 



... I would most gladly have answered 

 your delightful letter at once, and have told 

 you how smoothly all has gone at Neuch&tel. 

 Your letters to M. de Coulon and to General 

 von Pfuel have wrought marvels ; but they 

 are now inclined to look upon me there as a 

 wonder from the deep/ and I must exert my- 

 self to the utmost lest my actual presence 

 should give the lie to fame. It is all right. 

 I shall be the less likely to relax in devotion 

 to my work. 



The real reason of my silence has been that 

 I was unwilling to acknowledge so many evi- 

 dences of efficient sympathy and friendly en- 

 couragement by an empty letter. I wished 

 especially to share with you the final result of 

 my investigations on the fossil fishes, and for 

 that purpose it was necessary to revise my 



1 Ein blaues Meerwunder. 



