ENGLISH FRIENDSHIPS. 251 



threw new light on the history of fossil fishes, 

 a work which detained him in England for 

 several years. 



Agassiz made at this time two friends, 

 whose sympathy and cooperation in his scien- 

 tific work were invaluable to him for the rest 

 of his life. Sir Philip Egerton and Lord Cole 

 (Earl of Enniskillen) owned two of the most 

 valuable collections of fossil fishes in Great 

 Britain. 1 To aid him in his researches, their 

 most precious specimens were placed at Agas- 

 siz' s disposition ; his artist was allowed to 

 work for months on their collections, and 

 even after Agassiz came to America, they 

 never failed to share with him, as far as possi- 

 ble, the advantages arising from the increase 

 of their museums. From this time his corre- 

 spondence with them, and especially with Sir 

 Philip Egerton, is closely connected with the 

 ever-growing interest as well as with the diffi- 

 culties of his scientific career. Reluctantly, 

 and with many a backward look, he left Eng- 

 land in October, and returned to his lectures 

 in Neuchatel, taking with him such specimens 

 as were indispensable to the progress of his 

 work. Every hour of the following winter 

 which could be spared from his lectures was 

 devoted to his fossil fishes. 



1 Now the property of the British Museum. 



