40 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



in the way of obtaining the skins of these larger animals. 

 But you have no idea how hard it is to obtain them, 

 the difficulty first of shooting them and next of trans- 

 porting them such immense distances, no less than 1000 

 to 1500 miles often, through regions infested by Indians, 

 making it a very hazardous experiment. 



You ask me about Lyman. Now that the war is 

 over he is back again at home, and as soon as he has 

 put his private affairs in order, which have suffered 

 from want of care during his absence, he will devote 

 himself again to the same branch of the Museum as he 

 has done before. We have still excellent news of father ; 

 he has just arrived at Para, and thus far his expedition 

 has been as profitable to the Museum as he had ex- 

 pected. His health, as far as I could make out, is very 

 much improved, and I hope on his return he will put 

 his shoulders to the wheel and give the Museum such a 

 start that we may come on the same level as the greatest 

 Institutions of Europe. In the meantime I am not idle 

 and do what I can. We have just published two num- 

 bers of our illustrated catalogue, one of the Ophiurans 

 by Lyman, and one of the North American Acalephs 

 by me, which I shall send you either by the next 

 invoice or by the Smithsonian during this winter. I 

 enclose also, as I had promised, a bill of exchange to 

 your order for £3-5 shillings for the packing of the 

 casts, which I hope will arrive in good order, and all I 

 ask of you is to have patience with me if my invoices do 

 not come as fast as I promised them, as it is simply 

 incapability which will delay me and nothing more. 



Agassiz had established relations with several hunters 

 in the West, but collecting specimens there was then 



