114 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. xvm. 



attendants at scientific meetings of academies and 

 natural history societies, discussing there every new 

 fact brought up by any observer, whatever may be his 

 scientific position and record. They try to classify 

 the immense stores of collections around them, criti- 

 cally examining every specimen, and observing without 

 prejudice everything that comes under their keen 

 eyes. 



The majority of them never indulge in dreams ; or, if 

 they do, they do not allow their imagination to go 

 beyond the limit of speculation which can be easily 

 seen and readily controlled by the immediate researches 

 of their fellow-workers, as well as their own. To this 

 category belong Cuvier, Agassiz, Owen, d'Orbigny, 

 Deshayes, Ed. Forbes, Thomas Davidson, Pictet de 

 la Rive, Herman von Mayer, Barrande, Lartet, Cotteau, 

 and almost all palaeontologists. Cuvier was unique for 

 his constant adherence to facts. He never dreamed 

 in his life. Agassiz, next to him, was influenced only 

 by facts, though he dreamed now and then ; but his 

 great practical experience in both hemispheres soon 

 put an end to all wild conclusions or hasty speculations 

 which may have come now and then to his impetuous 

 spirit, and brought him back face to face with the simple 

 facts. Which of the two classes of men do the best 

 work in natural history ? is a question easy to answer. 

 All true and solid progress is due to the second class 

 and without them natural history could hardly be com- 

 prehended. Philosophical naturalists would find their 

 task a very barren one if there were no classifiers, no 

 embryologists, no palaeontologists. It is very well to 



