LOUIS JOHN RUDOLPH A.6ASSIZ. 107 



glaciers and other points especially interested Agassiz, 

 who gave himself with his peculiar energy and 

 fertility of idea to the study of the subject. Willi 

 Gyot, Desor, Studer, and other young friends, did 

 he during several years visit most of the glaciers of 

 Switzerland and examine them in their entire extent, 

 from their origin to their lowest margins. In 1841 

 the ascent of the Jungfrau was undertaken. In the 

 middle of the Aar glacier, at a height of 8,000 

 feet above the sea, twelve miles from any human 

 habitation, protected by a huge block, a station was 

 erected, which latterly obtained a European celebrity 

 under the name of "Hotel des Neufchatelois." Here 

 for fully eight years were researches carried out on 

 the origin of glaciers, the forward and backward 

 oscillations, the structure and thickness of the ice as 

 well as its formation, the origin of moraines, etc. 

 In 1840 appeared Agassiz's first great work, "Etudes 

 sur les Glaciers," in which he throroughly discussed 

 the chief phenomena of glaciers, and developed his 

 views on their general extension. In a second work, 

 " Systeme Glacial," he gave a satisfactory account of 

 the observations made in the years 1841-45, especially 

 on the progress of glaciers in various years and under 

 the influence of conditions of temperature. The 

 adoption of a special glacial period was the final 

 result of Agassiz's research among the glaciers of 

 Switzerland, as well as those of Scotland and Wales. 

 The immense importance of this theory, both in 

 geology and biology, was soon recognized, and its 

 discussion has engaged the earnest attention of the 



