1871-72-] DOMEYKO AND PHILIPPI. 189 



of Sicily with Friedrich Hoffmann and Arnold Eschcr 

 von dcr Linth, and there had been a friendly intercourse 

 between them ever since that time. Philippi went to 

 South America about the time that Agassiz came to 

 North America, and his exploration of the great desert 

 of Atacama and subsequent publications are justly cele- 

 brated. The alcalde and municipal body of Santiago 

 called on Agassiz, tendering an invitation to a great 

 dinner party and reception in his honour ; but his pre- 

 carious health and fatigue from the journey prevented 

 him from accepting. 



A very agreeable telegram from the Emperor of 

 Brazil awaited Agassiz at Santiago ; it announced his 

 election as a " Membre etranger de 1'Academie des 

 Sciences de I'lnstitut de France," an honour seldom 

 conferred, on account of the limited number (eight) 

 allowed in this class of members. Several times before, 

 his name had been on the list presented by the com- 

 mittee for election, but, curiously enough, he was 

 always opposed by the zoologists, while his just claim 

 to the distinction was strongly supported by the physi- 

 cists, astronomers, mathematicians, botanists, and med- 

 ical fellows of the Academy. As he says, in a letter 

 to Dom Pedro Secundo : " The distinction . . . unhap- 

 pily, is usually a brevet of infirmity, or at least of old 

 age, and in my case it is to a falling house that the 

 diploma is addressed. I regret it the more because I 

 have never felt more disposed for work, and yet never 

 so fatigued by it." 



He joined the Hasslcr at Valparaiso, after a few 

 clays of rest at Santiago, and continued his voyage. 



