CHAP. xix. CORRESPONDS WITH DIC&' 325 



some time elapsed before he could further communicate 

 with the Professor. He thus described the result of 

 his labours to his sister : 



"My spare time," he said, "is very limited; and 

 seeking fossil fish in stones at this season (February 9, 

 1863) is like playing at Blind Man's Buff all a-groping 

 in the dark ; and it is at the same time attended with 

 the severest labour. As yet, I have found nothing 

 extraordinary. I am fairly in for a search amongst the 

 rocks until the first of April. While the weather is 

 cold, I don't mind smashing away with a hammer on 

 the rocks ; but when the air grows mild, the toil 

 becomes too much and all for amusement ! " 



In the meantime, a letter arrived from Professor 

 Thomson (February 18, 1863) congratulating Dick upon 

 recommencing his labours among the rocks. "I will 

 try to be careful," he said, " but there is great pleasure 

 in change. An old fact looks so fresh when you look 

 at it through a nice new green theory ! At all events, 

 I am right glad that you have taken to the old fishes 

 again. I never saw in my life a little set from which 

 such a lot of information could be extracted as from 

 yours. I think I must come north again for a longer 

 look at them. 



" You have one specimen which could throw a deal 

 of light upon a question I am working at just now a 

 dorsal plate of Coccosteus, which has a sort of double 

 appearance, as if there had been a thick plate of 

 cartilage below the bone. I was more taken up at the 

 time with Asterolepis; so I just glanced at it. But 

 15* 



