JOHN LAWRENCE LE CONTE. 513 



showed itself almost from the time when he began to work, — to be 

 perfectly sure of the differences of the species. To obtain this aim 

 he used dichotomical or synoptical tables, or comparative descriptions. 

 Here, as ever afterwards, he studied as much as possible the works of 

 other scientists, and adopted what he found available ; but based his 

 publications upon his own original studies. There exists no fairer, 

 no better way to advance science. 



It was quite natural for such aa eager student to become hampered 

 more or less seriously by the smallness of the collections within his 

 reach, by the almost entire want of non-American insects, by the lack 

 of sufficient literature. In his first more extensive papers he com- 

 plains about these wants. But it was unknown to him, that at this 

 time the entomological student in Europe had nowhere an advantage 

 over the American student. Every country, with rare exceptions, was 

 scientifically almost isolated. Only after 1849 scientific communica- 

 tion was opened with England, much later with Italy and America. 

 No student of to-day can conceive the difficulties which a student 

 had to conquer forty years ago. 



For Le Conte it was decidedly fortunate that the late Dr. H. 

 Schaum, from Berlin, Prussia, visited the United States in 1847 and 

 1848. Dr. Schaum, then in the prime of life, had doubtless at that 

 time the largest knowledge of the species of Coleoptera. As nephew 

 of Professor Germar of Halle, he had had a chance to study all the 

 important collections in Europe. His knowledge of Micros, Pselaphi- 

 dos, and similar groups, was unsurpassed. Such a man was just what 

 Le Conte wanted and needed, and Schaum stayed a number of weeks 

 at his house in Philadelphia. He went with him througli his whole 

 collection, adding to it from the lari;e collections made by him- 

 self during his journey from New Orleans to Canada, unica not 

 excepted. I remember very well, when my friend Schaum returned 

 to Europe, how enthusiastically he spoke about the zeal and eagerness 

 of the gifted young student in Philadelpliia. "He squeezed me dry 

 as a lemon, and you know the extent of my knowledge of species." 

 They became life-long friends, and their frequent correspondence was 

 only stopped by Schaum's premature death. Tlie impulse and advan- 

 tage of this friendship is clearly to be seen in Le Conte's succeeding 

 publications, particularly in his paper on Pselaphidte. 



The arrival of Professor L, Agassiz gave to the young student 

 more general views, and a larger scope. He attached himself enthu- 

 siastically to the celebrated master, and formed a life-long friendship 

 with the father, and later with the son. He accompanied Professor 



VOL. XIX. (N. S. XI.) 33 



