244 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. x. 



" Lake Superior," the value of which has risen to two 

 and even three times the price asked by the publisher, 

 when it came out in 1850, and it is now difficult to pro- 

 cure a copy. The explanation of this in the case of 

 some of Agassiz's works, which are really of great 

 scientific value, is, that in their desire to help him, many 

 persons were ready to pay any price asked, and conse- 

 quently almost all his publications were issued at rather 

 high prices ; while others of his publications, although 

 they were expensive, were either not really needed, like 

 the translations of Buckland's and Sowerby's works, or 

 were limited to a too small circle of naturalists to secure 

 a large sale. 



Better management would have prevented Agassiz 

 from running into debt on account of his numerous 

 publications. At the same time that he was issuing his 

 works with such losses, works of the same sort were 

 published in France, not only without loss, but even 

 with profit from the very beginning of the undertaking. 

 I refer to the great work of Deshayes, " Description 

 des Coquilles fossiles des Environs de Paris," and 

 more especially the " Paleontologie frangaise," by Alcide 

 d'Orbigny. Agassiz differed from them, also, in his 

 method of working, and in his domestic arrangements, 

 for both Deshayes and d'Orbigny worked alone, without 

 assistants of any sort, except their artists ; and their 

 establishments at Paris were extremely modest, and 

 limited to what was strictly necessary. 



In 1845 the pecuniary position of Agassiz became 

 very serious, and his family were obliged to come to his 

 assistance, which they did with great generosity. All 



