POPULAR LECTURES IN NEUCHATEL. 395 



the Ichthyosaurians are descendants of the 

 Sauroid fishes which preceded the appearance 

 of these reptiles ? Not the least. I should 

 consider any naturalist who would seriously 

 present the question in this light as incapable 

 of discussing it or judging it. He would place 

 himself outside of the facts and would reason 

 from a basis of his own creating. . . . 



In the " Revue Suisse " of April, 1845, 

 there is a notice of the course of lectures to 

 which reference is made in the above letter. 



" A numerous audience assembled on the 

 26th of March for the opening of a course by 

 Professor Agassiz on the ' Plan of Creation.' 

 It is with an ever new pleasure that our pub- 

 lic come together to listen to this savant, still 

 so young and already so celebrated. Not con- 

 tent with pursuing in seclusion his laborious 

 scientific investigations, he makes a habit of 

 communicating, almost annually, to an audi- 

 ence less restricted than that of the Academy 

 the general result of some of his researches. 

 All the qualities to which Mr. Agassiz has 

 accustomed his listeners were found in the 

 opening prelude ; the fullness and freedom of 

 expression which give to his lectures the char- 

 acter of a scientific causerie ; the dignified 



