254 John Bachman. 



To Victor and John Audubon : 



January 6th, 1848, 



'^ Your letters are two weeks on the passage, and 

 mine, if they reach you at all, travel as slowly. Last 

 week I wrote you two full sheets about animals, 

 names, etc. It cost me two days' work : has it been 

 received ? Write forthwith. 



Alas ! Agassiz cannot help me; he know^s nothing 

 about Quadrupeds, scarcely one of our animals, and 

 not those of his own country. 



The late T. O. Summer, I). 1). (of the Methodist 

 Church), Dean of the Theological Faculty of Van- 

 derbilt University, Tennessee, has left a manuscript, 

 entitled " Personal Recollections of Dr. Bacliman." 



He writes: " When the Scientific Association met 

 in Charleston, Dr. Bachman had the distinguished 

 Agassiz frequently for a guest. One day, pointing 

 to the skin of a fox, the Doctor said, playfully, 

 * Agassiz, you know that fellow? • ' No,' said Agas- 

 siz. ' Why,' exclaimed the Doctor, ' That is the fox 

 of your own native forests.' Agassiz remarked : ' I 

 know very little of mammals.' He had devoted 

 himself chiefly to molluscs and fishes. The Doctor 

 told me this to show how little value was the dic- 

 tum of Agassiz in regard to the pol3^genism, which 

 Avas, at that time, so vehemently asserted by many 

 scientists. They wished to get Agassiz on their side, 

 but he never went any farther than to advance his 

 untenable hypothesis of eight Zorilogical centres, 

 comprising as many autochthonous races, tljougli 

 not species, of men." 



On the 14th of May, 1848, the General Synod of 

 tlie J^utheran Church convened in New York Citv. 



