5 6 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. xv. 



Florida, returning with a rich collection of echino- 

 derms, corals, etc., which he presented to the Museum. 

 He has devoted most of his zoological researches to 

 the interesting and beautiful families of the Asteroides 

 and the Crinoides of the present fauna, though during 

 the last twenty-five years the number of Crinoides has 

 increased to such an extent that he has been hardly 

 able to describe the new species brought up from the 

 deep seas by the different expeditions. Lyman is the 

 authority for everything relating to living Crinoides ; 

 but unhappily, on account of his health, he has been 

 obliged to give up all work at an age when it was ex- 

 pected that he would much increase our knowledge as 

 well as assist Congress, of which he was a member for 

 Massachusetts, in the reform, so much needed, of the 

 scientific organizations of the United States govern- 

 ment. 



The following letter from Agassiz to his friend, 

 Jules Pictet de la Rive, of Geneva, will give an idea 

 of the high esteem and friendship he felt for Theodore 



Lyman : 



CAMBRIDGE, n juin, 1861. 



Mon cher ami, Permettez que je vous presente Mr. Th. 

 Lyman de Boston, un de mes Sieves de predilection, et beau-frere 

 de mon fils, qui se rend en Europe avec sa femme pour voir le 

 monde. et faire la connaissance des savants d'outre-mer. Je vous 

 le recommande tout particulierement comme mon ami et comme un 

 gtfologiste plein d'avenir. 



Votre tout dcVou<5, 



Ls. AGASSIZ. 

 Fred. \\ . Putnam, of Salem, joined the laboratory 



