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Letters from Wyman, J to Charles Lyell, 14 September 1846 - 4 October 1856

 File — Box: Box 1.14
Identifier: Coll-203/1/306

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The correspondence between Charles Lyell and J. Wyman is mainly concerned with geology and natural history of North America. Specific subjects in the letters include: Louis Agassiz, W.B. Rogers, Herman Van Meyer, Geology of Newfoundland, and Megatherium. Many of the letters include diagrams drawn by Wyman.

  1. 'Natchez blind animal Selidotherium [sic Scelidotherium]'. The letter includes a diagram of a fossil, which Wyman believes belongs to the Megatherium genus. 16 September 1844
  2. 'Wyman. 30. April 1847. Dickeson. 1847. Megatherium megolonyx [sic megalonyx] Warren Mastodon Cambridge University 30 April 1847
  3. 'Wyman (7) Wales & scratched beach Labrador 1851 Geo[olo]gy Boulders Labrador'. Additional details: Lyman details his trip to Canada, including the Mecatina Islands, Labrador, and Newfoundland. Lyman remarks that he sees the ideas Lyell presents in Principles of Geology in the land he encounters on his trip. A small drawing of Black Bay is included. 10 January 1851
  4. '(8) Wyman ask 9 vertebrae big & smaller lizards rec[eive]d April 1853. Small diagrams of ligaments are drawn in-text. 1 March 1853
  5. 'Dr. Wyman (3) Agassiz on coal Reptiles Jan. 8, 1855'. 22 April 1855
  6. 'Wyman (2) Ichnology experiment birds & bone Connecticut Potsdam Sandstone footprints April 23, 1855.'. has a small drawing of raindrop impressions in sandstone, Lyman talks at length towards the end of the paper about Agassiz
  7. 'Wyman (1) Connecticut R[iver]. birds bones seat [or seek?] for Luckett Oct 23 1855'. People mentioned include: Herman Von Meyer, Louis Agassiz, Abbott Lawrence, and Mr. Luckett. Places and topics mentioned include Harvard College, Connecticut River, Nova Scotia.and Archegosaurus.28 August 1855
  8. '(4) Wyman, Dec 1855 Pterodactyl of Connecticut Valley q[uer]y on & H[erman] V[on] Meyer 27 December 1855
  9. 'Wyman 15.) On Macrognathus (&amp) other Ohio-coal reptiles Oct 4. 1856'. The letter includes two drawings of the spinal column of reptile fossils Lyman discusses, as well as a larger drawing that displays a more full skeleton. Includes a postscript about WB Rogers discovery of Silurian fossils in Boston. 4 October 1856

Dates

  • Creation: 14 September 1846 - 4 October 1856

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Full Extent

9 letters