THE REVISION OF THE ECHINI 97 



intermittent. His lack of condition culminated in the 

 spring in a very severe illness, from the effects of which 

 he never in after life completely recovered. One day, 

 when he was ahle to crawl about again, he chanced to 

 meet his friend, Mr. James Lawrence, of Boston. Law- 

 rence told Agassiz that he did not think he was looking 

 at all well, and the latter replied that he thought he was 

 dying. 



" Nonsense," said Lawrence, " what you need is rest 

 and a change of scene. Why don't you go to Europe? " 



" I cannot afford it," answered Agassiz. 



"Oh, yes! you can," said Lawrence; "I'll be your 

 banker." 



Agassiz always felt that he owed his life to this gen- 

 erosity of Mr. Lawrence, and never spoke of the event 

 without emotion. Thus he was unexpectedly enabled 

 to visit the museums of Europe, a long wished-for op- 

 portunity, necessary to complete his " Revision of the 

 Echini." Examples of doubtful species were shipped 

 abroad, in order to compare them directly with the 

 original specimens in the various European museums. 

 He sailed with his family in company with the Lawrences 

 from Boston for Liverpool on the Liberia in September, 

 1869. Among the letters that he carried to the scientific 

 friends of his father was one to Darwin, in which the 

 elder Agassiz declared, " You will find Alex more ready 

 to accept your views than I shall ever be." 



During this first visit to Europe, Agassiz made the 

 acquaintance of nearly every working naturalist in Great 

 Britain, Scandinavia, Italy, Germany, and France. Every- 

 where he was received as the son of an old friend ; thus 

 it happened that his scientific friendships were mostly 

 formed with men older than himself, and but few of 



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