224 LOUIS AGASSIZ, [CHAP. ix. 



the crumbs from the table always spread in Agassiz's 

 home ; always satisfied, always respectful, and never so 

 happy as when Agassiz expressed his admiration of the 

 beautiful and rare fossils he drew from his numerous 

 and large pockets on his return from his never-ending 

 explorations in the Jura. However, an assistant as 

 modest and inexpensive as Gressly is a rare exception, 

 and Agassiz never again found one like him. 



It was evident that something was wrong in the 

 whole establishment, and that running on such a basis 

 it would not last long. In fact, 1844 was its last year, 

 as we shall see further on. But before relating the 

 numerous incidents which one by one occurred and fin- 

 ally destroyed, at least partially, that extraordinary and 

 brilliant scientific centre, due entirely to the genius of 

 Agassiz, it is pleasing to call attention to two of the 

 best works done at Neuchatel under the impulse of 

 this remarkable man. 



One of his most important works, and certainly his 

 most original, is the " Monographic des Poissons fos- 

 siles du Vieux Gres rouge ou Systeme Devonien [Old 

 Red Sandstone] des iles Britanniques et de Russie ' 

 (4to, with a folio atlas of forty-one plates), which was 

 issued by " livraisons," or parts, the last three being 

 distributed in August, 1844. The material used was 

 mainly the specimens collected at Cromarty, in the 

 North of Scotland, by the celebrated geologist and 

 stonecutter Hugh Miller. 



During the ten years previous to Agassiz's visit at 

 Cromarty, in September, 1840, Miller, with great 

 patience and skill, had unearthed from the old red 



