President's Address. 29 



him inquired of a farmer if he had seen Professor Agassiz that 

 morning. The farmer looked up from his work in surprise, and 

 told the gentleman that Louis Agassiz, the great naturalist, lived 

 at Cambridge, Mass., and that h'e guessed he would have to go 

 there to find him. "There are no strangers here," the farmer ad- 

 ded, "except a crazy old Dutchman who is over in the field yonder 

 catching butterflies and bugs." The thrifty collector of lucre felt 

 no affinity for a "Dutchman" catching insects. 



One's ability to appreciate the collections of another seems also 

 to stand in direct ratio to his stock of general information. 



Soon, after the civil war General Custer led an exploring expe- 

 dition to the Black Hills. On the invitation of the government, 

 several eminent men of science accompanied the troops. As the 

 Sioux Indians were then very hostile, and the men of science in- 

 sisted on making side trips for the purpose of collecting natural- 

 history specimens, each scientist was attended by a guard of six 

 soldiers, much to the discomfort of the latter and the inconvenience 

 of the former. One day the most persistent collector escaped from 

 his guard of soldiers and wandered off into the hills, where he was 

 quickly pounced upon by the Sioux. The Indians thrust their 

 hands into his pockets and collecting bag for plunder, and were 

 disgusted to find that they contained plants, fossils, lizards, and 

 other material dear to the heart of a naturalist, but worthless trash 

 to Indians, and were exceedingly puzzled to know what sort of 

 man they had captured. While the savages were discussing the 

 nature of their queer captive, the naturalist saw a rare butterfly, 

 and, forgetful of everything else, started off on a run to effect its 

 capture. He soon returned and proudly exhibited his prize to the 

 Indians. This decided them, and the chief took him gently by the 

 sleeve, led him to a distant ridge, and pointed the way to Custer's 

 camp. The Indians had concluded that the naturalist was insane, 

 and thus, according to their belief, was under the special care of 

 the Great Spirit; otherwise he would have been put to death for 

 invading their country. 



The farmer thought that the naturalist was spending- his time 

 foolishly ; the Indians believed that he was crazy ; and it is not sure 

 but that each one of us thinks that the other naturalists would show 

 better sense by collecting our specialty. 



I have dwelt thus fully on the deep, unreasoning love with which 

 a collector regards the specimens in his own cabinet, in part to make 

 plain the cause of certain serious mistakes made by naturalists in pub- 

 lishing, as interesting matter to the world in general, the results of 



