130 LOUIS AGASSIZ 



the construction of the life history of an 

 acaleph or the habits of a perished 

 pterodactyl, he turns upon the evidences 

 of a Creator and the finding out of his 

 ways. Every one knows the story of 

 Cuvier and the Devil, who threatened to 

 devour him, and whom the intrepid 

 naturalist classed to his face as an un- 

 doubtedly graminivorous animal, be- 

 cause of his horns and cloven hoofs. A 

 like story told of Agassiz would not have 

 concerned itself with the Devil but 

 perhaps it is just as well to drop the 

 parallel. 



There is of course no reason why Agas- 

 siz 7 s opinions on religious matters should 

 carry weight merely because he was a 

 great naturalist. But he should speak 

 with authority on the question whether 

 the scientific facts then known warranted 

 any theory of evolution by descent. 

 And his opinion on the matter was 

 definite and strongly held to the end of 

 his life ; namely, that no sufficient evi- 

 dence was adduced for such a theory. 



