36 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



your wants of N. American insects during next summer 

 and in the fall we shall try to make you a good invoice. 

 We have a very good and conscientious entomologist 

 (P. R. Uhler) at work at the Museum who will do all 

 that can be done and to whom the collection of Coleop- 

 tera you are about sending will be particularly welcome. 

 As you see by the papers, our prospects to finish the 

 war during this year and reduce the whole to a mere 

 insurrection are quite good and from your letter I judge 

 that the news we have been sending to Europe the last 

 few weeks has been very welcome. I trust your prophe- 

 cies about Maximilian will come true, and that the 

 Monroe Doctrine and the Star Spangled Banner will 

 yet reign supreme over the whole of North America, in 

 spite of John Bull and Napoleon. 



At the outbreak of the Civil War most of the Mu- 

 seum assistants left to join the Federal army. As Agas- 

 siz was only recently naturalized, and could not forget 

 his warm friends in the South, he concluded to stay at 

 home and prevent the disintegration of the Museum. 

 With his temperament, it must have been a sore trial 

 for the young naturalist to find his share in the bitter 

 struggle confined to eagerly watching the progress of 

 events. When it became apparent that the war was draw- 

 ing to a close, he thankfully rejoiced with those at home 

 who hoped soon to see the end of much misery and a 

 reunited people. 



After the fall of Richmond, the assistants, who had 

 returned to the Museum, were again drafted, but this 

 time to follow Professor and Mrs. Agassiz to Brazil. 

 The voyage, at first contemplated chiefly for the sake 

 of Louis Agassiz's health, had developed, thanks to the 



