i8o LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. vin. 



French, treats the anatomy of the genus Echinus, and is 

 by Professor G. Valentin of Berne ; and its nine plates, 

 several of them double, are remarkably well drawn by 

 Dickmann. After the issue of the fourth "livraison," the 

 publication was stopped and never resumed. This fine 

 work, forming a large 4to volume, is dedicated to " M. 

 Valenciennes, Professeur de Zoologie au Jardin des 

 Plantes et a M. Paul Deshayes, Professeur de Conchyli- 

 ologie a Paris." In this way Agassiz tried to conciliate 

 two naturalists, who had nothing in common except a 

 disagreement in regard to an appointment obtained by 

 pure favour for Valenciennes, against all justice and the 

 right claim of Deshayes. For, through the influence of 

 Humboldt and the help of Agassiz, Valenciennes was 

 elected professor of conchology and zoophytology at 

 the Jardin des Plantes, - - a most unfortunate choice, for 

 he knew next to nothing of these two difficult branches 

 of invertebrate zoology, having only a knowledge of liv- 

 ing fishes, obtained as an assistant of George Cuvier ; 

 while Deshayes, on the other hand, was regarded by 

 every naturalist, not only in France, but also in other 

 countries, as the ablest conchologist of his time. 1 Agas- 

 siz, hoping to mend matters and to help in healing the 

 wound inflicted on Deshayes, conceived the strange 

 notion of uniting in a dedication the two names of 

 Valenciennes and Deshayes, placing Valenciennes 

 before Deshayes. He very well knew that he was 



1 Thirty years later, in 1869, Deshayes was at last appointed Professor 

 of Conchology at the Jardin des Plantes, at the ripe old age of seventy- 

 two years, an act of justice due to M. V. Duruy, then Secretary of Public 

 Instruction. 



