8 INTRODUCTORY NOTE 



ments. Anthropology, Geology, Psychology, Philosophy, Soci- 

 ology, Religion, Language, History, and Astronomy are all repre- 

 sented, and the mere enumeration suggests the colossal nature 

 of his achievement and its results. 



Yet the spirit of the man was almost as wonderful as his work. 

 His disinterestedness, his modesty, and his absolute fairness 

 were not only beautiful in themselves, but remain as a proof of 

 the importance of character in intellectual labor. Here is his 

 own frank and candid summing up of his abilities: "My success as 

 a man of science, whatever this may have amounted to, has been 

 determined, as far as I can judge, by complex and diversified 

 mental qualities and conditions. Of these, the most important 

 have been — the love of science — unbounded patience in long re- 

 flecting over any subject — industry in observing and collecting 

 facts — and a fair share of invention as zvell as of common sense. 

 With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is truly surprising 

 that I should have influenced to a considerable extent the belief 

 of scientific men on some important points." 



