Transcribe Allen, George N. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1873-07-28)

noids, echinodermste; and perhaps also some of the most interesting [yasaltios] of European [lithology] - especially those of igneous origin.

  These would be our first want.

Foreign bird skins, shells, corals, & cte we mist have, and if you should extend your journey to the Indies we should much regret if we could not secure these through you. Lastly we should require a partial set of your casts. Now that I might present the matter intelligently to my friends will you not be kind enough to state to me as nearly as you can estimate before hand about what numbers & of what classes of specimens in the three departments men- tined you could procure for the sum of $500 or $600, - following your own judgement of what would be best for us in our contemplated collection - giving prominence of course to those