LOUIS JOHN RUDOLPH A.GASSIZ. 101 



Danube region, as well as the fossil fishes of Monte 

 Balca. Moreover, he was so interested in the cyprinoids 

 of the Danube, which were already partly known to 

 him from those of the Isar, that he concluded a work 

 on the Fresh-Water Fishes of Central Europe. On 

 account however, of the Revolution of July, 1830, this 

 work was not published. 



The years 1831 and 1832 Agassiz spent in France, 

 and in Paris had much pleasant intercourse with 

 Cuvier and Alex, von Humboldt. Cuvier was then 

 giving a course of lectures on the history of natural 

 science, and combated with all the power of his science 

 and his detailed knowledge of the organic structure of 

 the whole animal world, the development theory of 

 Greoffroy, based on the variability of species, which the 

 latter defended in the sittings of the French Academy. 

 From this time Agassiz adhered to Cuvier' s ideas 

 on the classification of the animal kingdom, and on 

 creation catastrophes especially, and, with but little 

 modification, defended them in his teachings and 

 writings to the close of his life. 



The drawings of Agassiz so delighted Cuvier — who 

 had just commenced his work on fishes — that he offered 

 to relinquish to the young man all the materials lie had 

 himself collected, and from that time to his death he 

 cherished a warm friendship for the Swiss naturalist, 

 and received him in his family on the most intimate 

 terms. 



In Hiunboldt, again, Agassiz found an attached and 

 powerful patron, whose support at a later time essen- 

 tially facilitated the publication of many of his costly 



