TO T H E REV. WILLIAM BUCKLAND, D.D. F.R.S.
CANON OF CHRIST CHURCH, AND READ)
OF OXFORD. INSTIT. T
N GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY IN
SOC. PARIS, CORRESP, ETC. ETC.
MY DBAU SIR,
A t eig h teen years old, I formed the p ro u d design o f o b tain in g for our Country,
a Geological Collection o f th e Organic Remains o f the Ancient E a rth , which
should ran k with the G re a t Collections, and p e rad v en tu re excel them.
A t tw e n ty , it was my h ap p y fortune to obtain th e h onourable sanction o f your
h ig h name and approbation. In my tw en ty -th ird year, y o u r alliance helped me
to effect th e first step toward s th e end o f my ambition, and my e a rly Saurian
R emains w ere dep o sited in th e British Museum.
Y o u have ever since given me a thousand fla tte rin g testimonies o f Friendship,
and tig h te n ed all th e Chords o f th a t Sentiment, by which man is b ound to man.
I re g re t, th at in ded icatin g this Book o f Ich th y o sau ri and Plesiosauri to
yourself, 1 so faintly respond those aflèctionate manifestations, and feel how
much I remain,
My d e a r Sir,
Y o u r obliged and devoted Servant,
TH OM A S H AW IilN S .
Sliarpliam I’ark, Somerset,
March 26tli 1840.