36 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



results cannot be surely known, his vast material still exists for some 

 more fortunate investigator. He had written and rewritten his 

 sketch of the book upon this subject and a few days before his death 

 said to his friend, Sir John Murray in London, that it was his intention 

 to practically rewrite the book during the year for the fourth and last 

 time, leaving out all criticism of the work of others and stating exactly 

 what he had himself observed and his own views. It should be 

 understood that Darwin's theory of the coral reefs belonged to his 

 younger years and has no bearing upon his later published theory of 

 natural selection. What Agassiz's views were, upon this and other 

 theories conveniently grouped under the title Darwinism, cannot be 

 accurately stated. It is true that he found much that was objection- 

 able in the opinions maintained by some of Darwin's German followers. 

 No one who knew him, however, can doubt his ability to weigh dis- 

 passionately any evidence, which could be produced for this or for any 

 other doctrine, though it might run counter to opinions long enter- 

 tained by him or by those whom he delighted to honor. 



Some intimations of his views upon the position of the Zoologist 

 of today as compared with that of the great men of an earlier genera- 

 tion may be found in the remarks made by him as representative of 

 his class at the Commencement at Harvard in 1905, that being the 

 50th anniversary of his graduation. He called attention to the incon- 

 veniences and the primitive appliances which hampered the work of 

 the student of natural history in his own student days and added, 

 "The change in scientific thought is most striking — fifty years ago 

 authority was the powerful factor — scientific dictators were not 

 uncommon — now authority as such is no longer recognized beyond 

 the point at which it can be controlled. Successful experiment has 

 taken its place, and while recognizing the value of imagination and 

 of pleasing speculations, men of science no longer accept the dicta 

 of their leaders." 



As John Hunter said to his pupil Jenner, who had asked for the 

 explanation of some perplexing phenomenon, "I think your solution 

 is just; but why think, why not try the experiment." So with Agassiz, 

 discussions had little interest for him when it was not possible to put 

 the conclusion to the test of observation or experiment. 



The bibliography of his own scientific papers contains 248 titles 

 which cover a great range of subjects and procured for him marked 

 distinctions throughout the world. No man among men of science 

 promoted the interests of zoology so generously as he. In 1910 the 

 54th volume of the Bulletin and the 40th volume of the Memoirs 



