CHAPTEE XIV 



Anthropological expedition to the Kalmuk steppes — ^Affection of the 

 eyes — Second expedition to the steppes — The eggs of the Geophilus. 



After the misfortune which had befallen him 

 Metchnikofi placed his only hope in work, and the 

 condition of his eyes was therefore for him a source 

 of great preoccupation. He applied to the Peters- 

 burg Geographical Society for an anthropological 

 mission in order to undertake researches less trying 

 to his eyesight than microscopical work. 



As he went deeper into anthropology, he was struck 

 by the fact that this science lacked a leading thread 

 and was guided by no general idea but reduced to 

 mere measurements, very precise and detailed, it is 

 true. Metchnikofi wondered whether it would not 

 be advisable to apply to anthropology the methods 

 used in embryology and to estabHsh an analogy 

 between the diverse human races and the different 

 ages of the individual. In order to solve this problem 

 he had thought at first of visiting the Samoyedes 

 as being the most primitive of the aboriginal peoples 

 of Russia. But the project was not realisable and he 

 determined to visit, at his own expense, the Kalmuks 

 of the Astrakhan steppes, also a primitive Mongol race. 



Before his departure he went to see his family 

 and that of his late wife. Long afterwards his sister- 

 in-law. Mile. Fedorovitch, wrote me the following 

 account of that interview : 



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