8(5 Tlie Late Professor Louis Agassiz. 



etill more dominant, by leaving many modified and dominant descend- 

 ants. But, by steps the larger genera also tend to break up into 

 smaller genera. And thus the forms of life throughout the universe 

 become divided into groups subordinate to groups." 



The Late Professor Louis Agassiz. 



[From Harpers' Weekly, Januarj' 24, 1874.] 



Few events during the year 1873 have created a more profound 

 impression in the United States than the decease of Professor Louis 

 Agassiz. He was born in the parish of Mottier, near Lake Neu- 

 chatel, Switzerland, in May, 1807, and at a very early age devel- 

 oped a taste for scientific pursuits. His studies were prosecuted at 

 the colleges of Lausanne and Zurich, as well as at the universities of 

 Heidelberg and Munich. 



His earliest special work was that upon the fishes of Brazil, as col- 

 lected by Von Martius. Next to this came " The Natui-al History of 

 the Fresh-water Fishes of Europe," which, as far as published, had spe- 

 cial reference to the Salmonidce, and upon Avhich it is still a principal 

 authority. He was best known, however, during his residence in 

 Europe in connection Avith his researches upon the fossil fishes, and 

 those upon the characteristics and conditions of the glaciers of Switzer- 

 land and other countries, and the detection of traces of past glacial 

 action in difterent portions of Europe. Other important works pub- 

 lished in Europe are the "Memoirs on the Casts of Mollusks," the 

 "Monographs of Echinoderms," the " Nomenclator Zoologicus," and 

 the " Bibliographia Zoologize." 



In 1846 Professor Agassiz visited the United States, at the expense 

 of the King of Prussia, for the purpose, primarily, of making himself 

 familiar with the natural history and geology of the country, and also 

 to deliver a course of lectures at the Lowell Institute, Boston. Ou his 

 arrival in this country he found so rich a field for scientific inquiry 

 that he concluded to remain permanently, and in 1848 accepted an 

 invitation to become a member of Harvard University. Shortly after 

 this he proceeded on a tour to Lake Superior with some of his students, 

 the results of which are embodied in an octavo volume, entitled: 

 "Lake Suj)erior: its Physical Character, Vegetation, and Animals, 

 compared with those of other and similar Regions." 



One of the earliest papers published by him in the United States 

 was "The Classification of Lisects from Embryonical Data," printed by 

 the Smithsonian Institution, in its " Contributions to Knowledge," in 

 1850. His most voluminous work was entitled " Contributions to the 



