THE NEWPORT LABORATORY 161 



shall of course read the Introduction over very gladly 

 again, as I had already discovered a few changes which 

 had escaped me. I am ever so much obliged to you for 

 all your trouble in this matter of proof. The Introduc- 

 tion I suppose I ought to have spun out at greater 

 length, but it contains the essence of all I wanted to say, 

 which makes it pretty hard reading for any one who has 

 not a very extended knowledge of Echini. I hope before 

 this [reaches you] the proofs will turn up, with your cor- 

 rections and changes, and that there will not be any 

 delay on that score. I shall be compelled to go off during 

 March for a little while. The Doctor will not let me stay. 

 I am here against his express orders, but I can't get off, 

 as my sister is ill and mother is with her, so I have no 

 one to leave with my boys, and must grin and bear it. 



Although deep in the distribution of his Blake col- 

 lections, and in the work on the Challenger Echini, 

 Agassiz was, as usual, active in increasing from all 

 sources the collections of the Museum. 



TO WILLIAM SILLERN 



Cambridge, April 9, 1879. 

 There is no set of chaps so unblushing as naturalists ; 

 they are always wanting something that the other party 

 don't care a straw about. Nevertheless I am going to 

 ask you to put yourself out for me and get me one of 

 the large Cuttle Fish which used to be so common in 

 San Francisco market when I was there. The room in 

 the Museum devoted to that beast and its nearest allies 

 is nearly ready, and I am greatly in want of a large 

 Cuttle Fish to scare small boys and frighten women. I 

 don't want him too big, say not more than five feet 



