CHAPTER VII. 



1839-1840. 



AGASSIZ'S SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITY ; THE HELP RENDERED BY HIS SECRETARY 

 DESOR AN INTERESTING BUSINESS LETTER TO PICTET DISPUTE WITH 

 EDWARD CHARLESWORTH ABOUT THE FRENCH AND GERMAN TRANSLA- 

 TION OF SOWERBY'S " MINERAL CONCHOLOGY" VISIT TO THE MONTE 

 ROSA AND THE MATTERHORN - -THE GEOLOGIST VOLTZ OF STRASBOURG 

 STUDER'S CONVERSION TO THE GLACIAL DOCTRINE OLD GLACIERS 

 IN THE VOSGES SEARCH ON THE GLACIER OF THE AAR FOR HUGl'S 

 OLD CABIN KARL VOGT'S ARRIVAL AS ASSISTANT TO AGASSIZ THE 

 HOUSEHOLD AND LABORATORY OF AGASSIZ AT NEUCHATEL THE 

 " ECHINODERMES FOSSILES DE LA SUISSE " " ETUDES SUR LES GLA- 

 CIERS " THE " ESSAI SUR LES GLACIERS," BY DE CHARPENTIER 

 LETTER OF AGASSIZ TO DE CHARPENTIER THE "HOTEL DES NEU- 

 CHATELOIS" ON THE AAR GLACIER VlSIT OF MRS. AGASSIZ AND 

 ALEXANDER TO THE GLACIER JOURNEY TO ENGLAND THE GLACIAL 

 THEORY IN ENGLAND AGASSIZ'S DISCOVERY OF ANCIENT GLACIERS 

 IN SCOTLAND, IRELAND, AND ENGLAND LETTER TO HUMBOLDT. 



THE scientific activity of Agassiz during 1839 was 

 something unique in the history of natural history 

 researches. His secretary, Desor, had made such 

 progress under the direction and teaching of Agassiz, 

 that he began to be useful in original scientific observa- 

 tions. With a remarkable capacity and a marvellous 

 elasticity of mind, Desor, in less than two years, had 

 learned enough of all the branches of natural history 

 cultivated by Agassiz to be already helpful, not only 



