14 ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT. 



the well-known botanist, a pupil of Willdenow, and a nephew 

 of the valued friend and tutor of the two Humboldts, possessed, 

 on the contrary, the eager and susceptible temperament of 

 youth, combined with more liberal views on the subject of 

 organic development. In 1813 he was summoned byHumboldt 

 to Paris, where he was actively engaged for several years in 

 the prosecution of the great work. Humboldt did him no 

 more than justice in the following flattering letter of introduc- 

 tion to Pictet, bearing date July 11, 1819 : 



4 You are no doubt familiar, my dear friend, with the name 

 of the young professor who is the bearer of these lines, in which 

 I would assure you of my affectionate attachment and unfailing 

 regard. Herr Kunth, a corresponding member of the Insti- 

 tute, is my active coadjutor. He is at present engaged on the 

 publication of the 6 Nova Grenera et Species,' to appear in 

 five folio volumes, of which three are complete. He is the 

 intimate friend of Delessert and his family, and is well ac- 

 quainted with M. Decandolle. I have frequently heard from 

 Messrs, de Jussieu, Kichard and Eobert Brown, that Herr 

 Kunth had raised himself at a very early age to the rank 

 of one of the first botanists in Europe. In addition to his 

 scientific attainments, he is distinguished by his affability, 

 modesty, and gentlemanly bearing. He intends to spend some 

 weeks in making a tour among the mountains in your neigh- 

 bourhood, not so much in search of new specimens as to ob- 

 serve in their native soil the growth of Alpine plants, which I 

 think will be of essential use to him before visiting with me 

 the mountains of Ararat, Persia, and India. My young friend 

 will esteem it a great privilege to receive any advice on this 

 subject from one who is a master in the art of observing the 

 phenomena of nature in the regions of the Alps.' . . . 



It is evident from this that Humboldt, with whom an exten- 

 sive expedition to Asia was ever a cherished scheme during 

 his prolonged sojourn in Paris, had early formed the intention 

 of taking his young friend Kunth with him in the capacity of 

 botanist. 



The astronomical portion of the work was almost entirely 

 committed to Oltmanns, who proved himself an indefatigable 

 and conscientious coadjutor ; while in zoology the valuable 



