mmm of Comparative ^nolagg, 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 
Nov 
Dear Dr. True; 
I beg to thank you for your recent letter, and am very glad to see 
from it that we may shortly expect to get your Bulletin on Anoplonassa under way. 
All the figures that you desire can be proi/ided for; the photos will make two 
plates of regular Bulletin size, and those of Ziphius can go in as text-f igures.^ I 
was under the impression of haviii^ sent you two visv^s of the type specimen, but it 
seems not, and am aooordingly sending you the other herewith. Perhaps the lateral 
aspect can best be arranged for here, as it is essential to have the negative. 
In preparing my own paper, which is now ready for printing, I have 
had occasion to go over Abel's various papers pretty carefully, and as far as I 
am able to judge, he would seem to have made good use of his material. He has a 
keen insight into details, but is perhaps too prone to generalize upon an insuffi 
lent body of facts. In this respect he might point an ekampl e to Bacon's saying: 
"Bow can a man be understanded of gre^ matters, when he break«tb his mind on small 
A 
observations?" He also seems to have a feappy faculty of bringing to bear on his 
special studies the results of his co-workers in other tieias, as woula appear irom 
the use he has made of Dames and fraas on Zeuglodonts, Kukenthal and Weber on Oeta- 
/•% ay 
ns in general. That which appealed to me most favorably was his analysis of pro- 
gressive fflodif ications of the dentition, and that which I aa least ready to accept 
is his assumption of a dermal armoring amongst Squalodont prototypes. At any rate 
iias 
a right to insist upon more authentic demonstration. Personally I am inclined 
to feel highly sceptical of his interpretation of "Alabamornis, " though from the 
tenor of Lucas' note in Science, it may be well to suspend judgment/ for the presen 
Sincerely } yours. 
