114 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



circulation of fresh cold sea water in the Mediterranean 

 as a stone wall would be. On the coast of Portugal they 

 were more successful, and carried their former geogra- 

 phical work well along, showing the same animals very 

 much as further North. The main thing of the Expe- 

 dition is a magnificent new Pentacrinus, almost as large 

 as the West India form, and some very magnificent 

 sponges (vitreous). I have picked out while here a fine 

 series of the Echini thev have collected, as I could work 

 them up as fast as we looked at them, and have made all 

 arrangements necessary that we shall get duplicates 

 (the first series) of all they have in way of Corals, Crus- 

 tacea, and Mollusca, and Echinoderms, as fast as they 

 are worked up and ready to be distributed. One of the 

 fine Pentacrinus and young sponges I have taken along 

 as trophies of my expedition here. 



I was greatly astonished the other day in London to 

 find Professor Peirce in same hotel with us. I have had 

 a good deal of talk with him about the deep-sea dredg- 

 ings, and hope he will be able to go on and do some- 

 thing also on the Pacific Coast. I should like to take a 

 trip out there again. I look upon California as my cradle 

 in Natural History, and now that I know a little more 

 should like to go back there. I had a very good look-in 

 British Museum at their collection of Fishes ; it is in ad- 

 mirable order. Gunther has certainly everything very 

 accessible, well named, and, what is far more important, 

 very well preserved, and their collection of Reptiles and 

 Fishes is wonderful. The osteological collection I was 

 greatly disappointed in. The Palaeontology is marvelous. 



The end of November found him once more at his 

 post at the Museum, busy with his " Revision of the 



