102 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



the work of enlarging the harbor they have accumulated 

 a good many fine things in the way of fossils, but I can- 

 not do all this time and must leave it for another time. 

 We may do something by letter with Meneghini when 

 we are ready. 



We went to dine at Mr. Marsh's, the American Min- 

 ister here, who is a very bright and pleasant man and 

 wishes to be remembered to father. They live very pleas- 

 antly in a villa out of town, some old palace built before 

 the flood, but where they have introduced a furnace. 

 We met some Americans there, a sister of Mrs. Strong 

 of New York, Mrs. Goddard, and Miss Fearing, a still 

 younger sister. The few days we have passed here have 

 almost taken Annie's feet off ; she has seen so much and 

 read so much that I expect she will have to be carried 

 to the cars when we leave. Sight-seeing with limited 

 time is not worth much — it is too much like hard work 

 and the fun is all in the recollection, when you have not 

 seen too much to become perfectly idiotic at end of your 

 day's work. I envy the Museums their old palaces ; it 

 gives them plenty of room, and there are so many Jesuit 

 Palaces, ready to be confiscated, that with a little exer- 

 tion any amount of room would be available. I wish we 

 could transplant some of them to Cambridge; besides 

 the good looks of the outside we might have plenty of 

 room. The only Museums thus far I have seen which 

 are not crowded are those of N. Italy ; they seem to 

 spread as much as they like and be sure of an ample 

 supply. Thirty-seven rooms in Florence ! ! Forty in Bo- 

 logna ! only for Natural History ! We were so glad to 

 get such continued good accounts from father. 

 With love to all, 



Yours, A. Ag. 



