LOUIS AGASSIZ 127 



sustained for a long period." "It is 

 not a kind of work which is delegated 

 ... to a law working its way uniformly ; 

 but it is that kind of work which the 

 engineer retains when he superintends 

 and controls his machine while it is work- 

 ing." "When the largest amount and 

 greatest variety of work is produced by 

 a particular invention, we consider the 

 result as indicative of superiority of 

 genius or inventive capacity. Here in 

 the animal kingdom we see it illustrated 

 to an extent which the best trained mind 

 can hardly follow." u The limitation of 

 closely allied species to different geo- 

 logical periods exhibits thought : it ex- 

 hibits- the power of sustaining nice dis- 

 tinctions, notwithstanding the interposition 

 of great disturbances by physical revolu- 

 tions." 



To some minds this seems but faint 

 praise with which to characterise the 

 Creator. It is difficult to-day to state 

 Agassiz's beliefc at once shortly and 



