﻿ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES. 
  223 
  

  

  The 
  case 
  is 
  not 
  at 
  all 
  dissimilar 
  with 
  the 
  specialists 
  of 
  science. 
  Each 
  is 
  gath- 
  

   ering 
  and 
  logically 
  arranging 
  all 
  the 
  details 
  of 
  his 
  examinations 
  and 
  study 
  ; 
  

   whilst 
  others 
  are 
  endeavoring 
  to 
  blend 
  and 
  harmonize, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  practicable 
  with 
  

   yet 
  incomplete 
  observations, 
  the 
  results 
  in 
  the 
  different 
  branches 
  of 
  science. 
  So 
  

   delicate 
  have 
  become 
  the 
  means 
  and 
  methods 
  of 
  examination, 
  so 
  extreme 
  the 
  

   range 
  of 
  subjects, 
  so 
  intimate 
  their 
  correlation, 
  that 
  we 
  are 
  perforce 
  compelled 
  

   to 
  confine 
  our 
  special 
  investigations 
  to 
  single 
  and 
  very 
  narrow 
  lines 
  of 
  research. 
  

   The 
  geologist, 
  botanist, 
  chemist, 
  physiologist, 
  mathematician, 
  subdivide 
  their 
  

   labors 
  ; 
  cosraical 
  physics 
  attract 
  one 
  astronomer, 
  observations 
  of 
  the 
  planets 
  

   another, 
  spectrum 
  analysis 
  another. 
  As 
  the 
  results 
  in 
  particular 
  branches 
  are 
  

   announced, 
  special 
  discussions 
  are 
  entered 
  upon 
  to 
  evolve 
  the 
  law 
  which 
  en- 
  

   twines 
  and 
  embraces 
  them 
  all. 
  These 
  discussions 
  must 
  conform 
  to 
  and 
  be 
  gov- 
  

   erned 
  by 
  mathematical 
  processes. 
  No 
  indeterminate 
  solutions 
  can 
  be 
  admitted 
  ; 
  

   for 
  their 
  presence 
  indicates 
  the 
  necessity 
  for 
  more 
  tangible 
  facts. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  the 
  realization 
  of 
  this 
  requirement 
  for 
  labor 
  in 
  specialties 
  in 
  natural 
  

   history 
  and 
  its 
  cognate 
  branches, 
  that 
  impressed 
  Agassiz 
  with 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  a 
  

   museum 
  that 
  should 
  be 
  complete 
  in 
  its 
  absolutest 
  sense 
  ; 
  and 
  to 
  accomplish 
  this 
  

   he 
  undertook 
  his 
  exploration 
  on 
  the 
  Amazon, 
  his 
  voyage 
  round 
  Cape 
  Horn, 
  and 
  

   had 
  projected 
  a 
  voyage 
  this 
  coming 
  May 
  through 
  the 
  labyrinth 
  of 
  waters 
  ex- 
  

   tending 
  from 
  Paget 
  Sound 
  to 
  the 
  Chilkaht 
  River, 
  in 
  Alaska. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast 
  we 
  are 
  full 
  of 
  faith 
  that 
  such 
  a 
  museum 
  will 
  be 
  gath- 
  

   ered 
  by 
  the 
  Academy, 
  and 
  that, 
  from 
  the 
  ample 
  means 
  of 
  her 
  benefactors, 
  origi- 
  

   nal 
  researches 
  in 
  special 
  branches 
  of 
  science 
  will 
  be 
  systematically 
  carried 
  on, 
  

   and 
  the 
  results 
  be 
  regularly 
  made 
  known 
  in 
  series 
  of 
  lectures. 
  For 
  general 
  

   information, 
  this 
  method 
  has 
  had 
  no 
  abler 
  exponent 
  than 
  Agassiz 
  ; 
  in 
  fact, 
  he 
  

   was 
  the 
  father 
  of 
  the 
  method 
  of 
  popularizing 
  science 
  by 
  lectures 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  

   order 
  by 
  the 
  investigators 
  themselves. 
  In 
  the 
  present 
  flush 
  of 
  scientific 
  lecturers 
  

   we 
  are 
  too 
  apt 
  to 
  forget 
  that 
  when 
  he, 
  many 
  years 
  since, 
  commenced 
  giving 
  his 
  

   series 
  of 
  lectures 
  on 
  natural 
  history, 
  fossil 
  fishes, 
  the 
  glaciers, 
  etc., 
  freed 
  from 
  the 
  

   usual 
  flood 
  of 
  cold 
  technicalities, 
  he 
  was 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  an 
  innovator, 
  and 
  as 
  

   degrading 
  science. 
  Fortunately, 
  his 
  conception 
  of 
  its 
  value 
  was 
  the 
  true 
  one. 
  

   A 
  deep 
  and 
  abiding 
  yearning 
  for 
  fresh, 
  living 
  information 
  has 
  been 
  diffused, 
  and, 
  

   one 
  by 
  one, 
  even 
  the 
  learned 
  men 
  of 
  Europe 
  have 
  yielded 
  to 
  the 
  pressure, 
  and 
  

   given 
  of 
  their 
  abundant 
  stores 
  of 
  knowledge 
  to 
  the 
  humble 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  rich. 
  

  

  We 
  cannot 
  yet 
  measure 
  the 
  full 
  value 
  of 
  this 
  new 
  means 
  of 
  difi'using 
  the 
  

   results 
  and 
  methods 
  of 
  scientific 
  investigations. 
  It 
  humanizes 
  and 
  expands 
  the 
  

   minds 
  of 
  men 
  of 
  power 
  whose 
  business, 
  habits 
  and 
  pursuits 
  have 
  kept 
  them 
  

   apart 
  from 
  study 
  since 
  their 
  school-boy 
  days 
  ; 
  it 
  quicliens 
  the 
  memory 
  of 
  the 
  

   student 
  and 
  reader 
  ; 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  humbler 
  walks 
  of 
  life 
  it 
  will 
  call 
  out 
  the 
  

   latent 
  talent 
  of 
  many 
  a 
  gifted 
  but 
  timid 
  youth, 
  whose 
  instincts 
  and 
  aspirations 
  

   would 
  have 
  been 
  chilled 
  by 
  the 
  esoteric 
  system 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  formal 
  school. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  popularizing 
  science, 
  it 
  was 
  peculiarly 
  

   fortunate 
  tliat 
  Agassiz 
  had 
  the 
  rare 
  power 
  of 
  stating 
  so 
  clearly 
  and 
  so 
  logically, 
  

   and 
  of 
  illustrating 
  so 
  rapidly 
  and 
  cleverly, 
  the 
  processes 
  and 
  deductions 
  of 
  his 
  

   investigations. 
  It 
  was 
  all 
  new 
  knowledge— 
  not 
  gleaned 
  from 
  encyclopedias 
  or 
  

  

  