IDENTITY OF PARENT AND OFFSPRING. 199 



ond rank. President Walker in 1814 was a leading 

 scholar of his class. President Felton in 1827 was 

 graduated with high distinction. President Hill in 

 1843 was the second scholar in his class at Cam- 

 bridge. Professor Bowen, who leads now the philo- 

 sophical department at Cambridge, was the first 

 scholar of his class in 1833. Professor Peirce in 

 1824 excelled his classmates as much in the knowl- 

 edge of mathematics as he does now his fellow-pro- 

 fessors. Professor Dana in 1833 was the fourth 

 scholar in his class. Leonard Bacon in 1820 was 

 the fourth. Professor Tyler of Amherst College in 

 1830 was only one-half of one per cent behind that 

 scholar who afterwards became known to the world 

 as Professor Hackett, and whose rank at Amherst 

 in 1830 was ninety-seven and one-half per cent for 

 the whole course. It is well understood that there 

 is no infallibility in college-marks. Who knows 

 which was the better scholar, Tyler or Hackett ? 

 They were both excellent scholars, and have been 

 very distinguished men. The little differences be- 

 tween the ranks are not insisted on in forming col- 

 lege estimates. Something, however, must be taken 

 as the rule by which to rank men, if you appoint 

 the parts according to the ranking list ; and so such 

 an apparent injustice may occur as here. The gen- 

 eral rule stands, nevertheless, that the upper quarter 

 furnishes as many distinguished men as the lower 

 three quarters. 



You say that these scholars are all professors and 

 presidents, and were peculiarly influenced in after- 



