February 7, 1908.



Monsieur Edmond Perrier,

Directeur du Muséum National, Jardin des Plantes,

Paris, France



My Dear Colleague;-



I write to inform you that the replica of the skeleton of the Diplodocus that we have prepared for France is rapidly nearing completion and before the receipt of this letter by you we shall have packed it carefully in order to ship it. I have written to Mons. Blavette, the Architect of the Museum, and to Mons. Boule in reference to the bases. I wish you to arrange for the constructin [sic] of these bases, making a contract with the firm of Jeanselme, Rue des Arquebusiers, under the care of Mons. Blavette, and I will myself see to it that the money is paid when the work is completed, which cannot be done until the skeleton is put in place, because the tops of the bases dare not be put on until the cast has been mounted. I have explained this to Mons. Blavette. My wish then is that you would kindly proceed yourselves to make the contract, acting on my behalf and for me, and not waiting to send me any further papers to be signed. You understand that I will pay the expenses, but the work of looking after the contractor and building the bases should be properly left to you yourselves to arrange.



Now, as we are ready to ship the specimen, I ask you to inform me how you wish it to be forwarded and what directions you have to give me as to the address and the manner of consignment. I have seen the gentleman in charge of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, in New Yorkk and have an understanding with them. I will prepay the freight from Pittsburgh to Havre, at which point you should designate to whom I should consign the boses. It has been suggested to me by Mons. Cauchois General Freight Agent of the Compagnie Générale Tranatlantique in New York that, as this is a present to the National Museum, free transportation over the railways from Havre to Paris would naturally be accorded. Should this, however, not be the case, please attend to it that the amount of freight from Havre to Paris is paid, and I will refund the amount to you on my arrival in Paris. Please indicate to me lby which railroad terminal in Paris you wish the boxes sent. It will take, I judge, from six to eight weeks to build the bases. It will take at least three weeks after our arrival to get the replica in place and ready for formal presentation and exhibition. Concerning details as to putting the thing together I need to write you now, but will in propria persona be able to take these matters up with you when I reach Paris with my assistant.



 As you are no doubt aware, Mr. Carnegie has requested me to instal a replica at Berlin as well as in Paris. I have not yet heard from the authorities in Berlin as to what time will suit their convenience best to have me come there. I am hoping to receive a reply from them soon. In the absence of definite information from them it is a little difficult for me to positively decide just when I will be in Paris. My plan now, however, is to leave Pittsburgh for Europe about the middle of April in order to instal these replicas. Whether the work of installation should be attacked first in Berlin or first in Paris, remains yet to be decided, and my movements will have to be governed by the information which you and Dr. Brauer, the Director of the Museum in Berlin, give me.



As I think I have already intimated to you, I cannot well spend