142 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



habitat of the Globigerinae, the shells of which covered the floor of 

 the ocean, and of some organisms brought up from a great depth on 

 sounding lines. The renowned "Bathybius" had been described 

 as a living carpet on the ocean-floor and was accepted by the scientific 

 world. Wyville Thomson, Jeffreys, and Carpenter had conducted 

 deep-sea explorations in the "Lightning," "Porcupine," and "Shear- 

 water," capturing in great depths Crinoids, irregular Sea Urchins, 

 and other marine creatures which were reminiscent of fossil forms. 



All these fresh and striking facts, and the speculations connected 

 therewith, must have been present in the mind of the young natura- 

 list when recovering from his severe illness in 1869. One can well 

 imagine how earnestly he desired to take an active part in the new 

 explorations and investigations which were either then being carried 

 out or were projected for the near future. At this time an unexpected 

 occurrence enabled him to realize a long wished-for opportunity of 

 visiting and examining the Echini collections in European Museums 

 and of becoming personally acquainted with the British naturalists 

 then engaged in oceanographical work and deep-sea exploration. 

 One day when recovering from his illness he chanced to meet his 

 friend, Mr. James Lawrence of Boston. Lawrence remarked, "How 

 ill you are looking!" and Agassiz replied that he thought he was dying. 

 "Nonsense," said Lawrence, "what you need is rest and change of 

 scene." "I cannot afford it," was the reply. "Oh yes! you can," 

 said Lawrence, "I'll be your banker." Agassiz never referred to this 

 incident without emotion. He always felt that he owed his life to 

 Mr. Lawrence. 



Mr. and Mrs. Agassiz sailed for Europe in the autumn of 1869, with 

 their children and were absent from Boston for fully a year. This was 

 a period of convalescence and of great pleasure and enjoyment; it was 

 also a period of great activity and hard work. His first visit was to 

 Wyville Thomson, who was then Professor at Belfast, in Ireland. 

 Years previously they had been in correspondence about the dis- 

 tribution and development of Echinoderms, and Agassiz was, of 

 course, anxious to see him and to learn all about the "Lightning" 

 and "Porcupine" Expeditions, in which Wyville Thomson had taken 

 part, and concerning which he had just published a Statement of 

 Results. The subsequent correspondence shows that this, as well as 

 another visit towards the end of 1870, gave the greatest satisfaction 

 to both naturalists as well as to their wives. Agassiz then proceeded 

 to visit and examine the Echini collections in nearly every museum in 

 Europe. The great majority of the original type specimens described 



