1 845.] INTIMACY WITH PICTET. 249 



least twelve years with Jules Pictet de la Rive of Geneva, 

 became intimacy, and remained so until the end. These 

 two savants had many similar qualities, and it is not 

 surprising that when they met they became the best of 

 friends. For Pictet life was never difficult. Son of an 

 old and wealthy family, he married early the grand- 

 daughter of the celebrated Madame Necker-de-Saus- 

 sure, and became one of the richest men of Geneva ; 

 while, on the contrary, Agassiz had to struggle all his 

 life against poverty. However, both of them spent 

 largely for science, and were never so happy as when 

 they were able to secure at any price rare and well- 

 preserved natural history specimens. Although rich, 

 Pictet always worked very hard, being second only to 

 Agassiz in this respect, and not far behind him. He 

 conceived and published the first manual of palaeontol- 

 ogy in four volumes ; and the first copy was sent to 

 Agassiz, who wrote at once a review of it for the 

 " Bibliotheque Universelle." The following is a letter 

 from Agassiz on the subject: 



NEUCHATEL, 7 Mai, 1845. 

 F. J. PICTET, 



Geneve. 



Mon cher ami, Cest a vous plutot qu'a Monsieur de la Rive 

 que j'adresse Panalyse que je viens de faire de votre ouvrage (" Traite 

 elementaire de Paleontologie "). Vous voyez que j'ai tenu parole 

 de ne prendre que le temps materiellement necessaire a sa lecture 

 pour la rediger. Aussi ma notice doit se ressentir de cette precipi- 

 tation, et c'est ce qui m'a fait decider de vous la soumettre d'abord. 

 Corrigez et changez ce que vous voudrez, je ivai pas Tesprit assez 

 repose pour avoir pu faire quelque chose de complet, quoique j'aie 

 hi votre beau livre bien attentivement. Je ne cloute pas que cet 



