Dear Sir!

With expressions of the sincerest feelings of gratitude I have read over and over your very kind letters of the 2^d. ult. and 1^st. inst.— Allow me to thank you most heartily for those words of appreciation, which you so kindly devoted to my late work.¹ These words are to me the highest price and the greatest gratification, which ever I dreamt to earn.

There is at this present period little chance among Geologists to make proselytes. A new theory and a good cause requires always time to penetrate into and to secure general acknowledgement.

The first steps to be taken will be the task to demonstrate and explain in single instances the high value and the importance of this views. And it appears to me in that respect, that no subject, than the triasic formations of our Alpine countries, is more fit to attain in an excellent way the mentioned purpose. With my work “The Dolomite Reefs” I have purposed to lay the foundation to the theory of the heteropic formations, showing unmistakable instances.²

Your remarks about the scarcity of intermediate forms between diverse species of marine Organisms in the same bed and the same place agree generally with our experiences.³ It is necessary, to search frequently the derivated isopic fauna at distant places of the same isotopic Region, and this search is indispensable on account of the heteropic changes on different places in the same marine Province. This difficulty grows, as it appears with the extent of the Provinces.— Wherever isopic formations follow without break, we always find in our mesozoic formations on the same places a smaller or greater number of derivated forms.

If your most valuable time would once more allow it to take my work up again, I would ask the favour to devote a little attention to the illustration of the alpine formations, particularly to that of the Trias, in the 3^d. Chapter of my book.⁴

The abroad very little known peculiarities of the alpine formations, and which peculiarities are of the extremest interest to modern science, were the source, which led me by degrees to my views, laid down in the first chapter of my work.

With the reiterated expressions of thanks for your kindness I remain, dear Sir, with the highest respects | Yours faithfully | Dr. Edmund von Mojsisovics