246 To the River Plate and Back 



as an entomologist. At his death the Directorship fell 

 to Florentino Ameghino, the famous, but somewhat 

 visionary, paleontologist. He belonged to the numer- 

 ous class of "self-made" scientists, possessing all their 

 virtues, and some of their faults. His almost incredible 

 industry, and the many contributions made by him to 

 the literature of paleontology, will serve to keep his 

 memory forever green, though the conclusions which he 

 announced, often of a very startling nature, will in 

 many instances not stand the test of more careful in- 

 vestigation ; in fact many of them even before his death 

 had been rejected by his contemporaries as invalid, 

 not a little to his annoyance. The present Director of 

 the Museum in Buenos Aires is a gentleman born to the 

 purple. Possessed of an ample fortune, moving in the 

 highest social circles, educated in the best schools of his 

 native country and of Europe, he has already filled with 

 distinction the Chair of Zoology in the University of 

 Buenos Aires, and has made important contributions 

 to the literature of the natural sciences. In speaking 

 of him one of the leading men of the country said 

 that he represented la fleur de noire jeunesse doree. 

 Under his guidance, supported adequately by the 

 state, there is a brilliant future before the institution 

 at the head of which he stands. At present the Museum 

 is at a transitional point in its history. With new and 

 well-designed buildings at its command, with the wealth 

 of classic material already in its possession, it is des- 

 tined under the guidance of its accomplished Director 

 to take a very important place among the great mu- 

 seums of the world. The library of scientific literature 

 under its roof is very large and rich. In fact it compares 

 most favorably with the best libraries of its kind any- 

 where. Scientific men require access to books in order 



