MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY,
CAMBRIDGE, MARCH 15, 1865.
Dear Sir: – In a few days I shall leave Cambridge to start on a journey to Brazil, chiefly to study the metamorphoses of the Fishes of the Amazon and the drift phenomena of the Andes. During my absense, my son, Alexander Agassiz, is entrusted with the care of the Museum, and I take the liberty of bespeaking for him your kindness and confidence.
Very truly yours,
L. Agassiz.
September 12/65
My dear Sir.
Your letter announcing the departure of a box of specimens intended for our Museum came safely to hand a few days ago and in father’s absence I take the liberty of answering it and at the same time acknowledging the safe arrival of the box which I have not yet opened but which came in first rate order. I regret much that your note did not reach earlier in the summer as nothing could have given me greater pleasure than to have made a fresh collection of new Coelenterata for you during my annual stay at the seashore, this year particularly having taken a short trip to Long Island Sound I could have made my invoice of our Radiata || tolerably complete. I hope heavens it is only delayed. You will probably have heard through your colleague Prof. Gegenbaur of father’s absence and in consequence of this as he has taken with him most of the assistants of the Museum and left me as it were alone to attend to the immense business of the Institution. I am utterly unable to do all I could wish in the way of making returns promptly for an exchange and must beg your indulgence for I cannot at once make you such a collection as I should wish. I have taken note of your wishes and as soon as I can shall devote some time to make up an invoice for you which I think will be acceptable. ||
I look forward with great pleasure to looking over your paper of Geryonidae of which I have seen a meagre account which makes me more desirous of seeing more ofa it. I have lately paid a good deal of attention to Acalephae and have just finished printing (last spring) No. 2 of the Museum Catalogue containing our North American Acalephae in which you will find a good deal of new material in the Embryology of Ctenophorae and of the young Hydroid Medusae. This I shall take great pleasure in forwarding to you as soon as it is dry from the press and shall make a bundle fit with some other papers of mine which may interest you and add to it a copy of the Volumes of North American Acalephae of father contributions Vols 3 & 4 which I shall forward directly to Hamburg for Steamer Company of the agents of the Hamburg and New Yorkb Steamship line to be sent to you at Jena. I shall delay this packages || a short time in hope of being able to make up a new for you but if you see the books coming to land alone I hope you will understand that it is only my utter inability which has prevented me from sending you specimens in return for the valuable collection you have forwarded us.
Hoping my Dear Sir that this is but the beginning of a long and mutually beneficial intercourse for both our Institutions
I remain
very respectfully obedient servant
Alex. Agassiz
Director Museum
Prof. E. Haeckel | Jena.
a eingef.: of; b eingef.: and New York