STUDIES ON THE WAY TO PARIS, 161 



not think my journey was a useless one, and 

 am convinced that my observations will not 

 be without interest, — chiefly for myself, of 

 course, but of utility to others also I hope. 

 Your letter being so urgent, I will not, how- 

 ever, delay my departure an instant. Between 

 to-day and to-morrow I shall put in order the 

 specimens lent me by the Museum, and then 

 start at once. ... In proportion to my previ- 

 ous anxiety is my pleasure in the prospect of 

 going to Paris, now that I am better fitted to 

 present myself there as I could wish. I have 

 collected for my fossil fishes all the materials 

 I still desired to obtain from the museums of 

 Carlsruhe, Heidelberg, and Strasbourg, and 

 have extended my knowledge of geology suf- 

 ficiently to join, without embarrassment at 

 least, in conversation upon the more recent 

 researches in that department. Moreover, 

 Braun has been kind enough to give me a 

 superb collection, selected by himself, to serve 

 as basis and guide in my researches. I leave 

 it at Carlsruhe, since I no longer need it. . . . 

 I have also been able to avail myself of the 

 Museum of Carlsruhe, and of the mineralog- 

 ical collection of Braun's father. Beside the 

 drawings made by Dinkel, I have added to 

 my work one hundred and seventy-one pages 



VOL. I. 11 



