220 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



AGASSIZ TO HUMBOLDT. 



NEUCHATEL, January 27, 1833. 

 ... A thousand thanks for your last most 

 welcome letter. I can hardly tell you what 

 pleasure it gave me, or how I am cheered and 

 stimulated to new activity by intercourse with 

 you on so intimate a footing. Since I wrote 

 you, some things have become more clear to me, 

 as, for instance, my purpose of publishing the 

 " Fossil Fishes " here. Certain doubts remain 

 in my mind, however, about which, as well as 

 about other matters, I would ask your advice. 

 Now that Cotta is dead, I cannot wait till I 

 have made an arrangement with his successor. 

 I therefore allow the " Fresh- Water Fishes " to 

 lie by and drive on the others. Upon careful 

 examination I have found, to my astonishment, 

 that all necessary means for the publication of 

 such a work are to be had here : two good 

 lithographers and two printing establishments, 

 both of which have excellent type. I have 

 sent for Weber to engrave the plates, or draw 

 them on stone ; he will be here at the end of 

 the month. Then I shall begin at once, and 

 hope in May to send out the first number. 

 The great difficulty remains now in the distri- 

 bution of the numbers, and in finding a suffi- 



