32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMHERST MEETING 



of his efforts in bringing to the light of day that sumptuous series of 

 monographs on the fossil erinoids by Charles Wachsmuth and Frank 

 Springer — a monumental tribute having no near rival in the New "World 

 and perhaps not in the Old World. 



Orestes H. Saint John was born at Rock Creek, Ashtabula County. 

 Ohio, January 12, 1841, and was therefore in his eighty-first year at the 

 time of his demise. In early childhood his father. Orestes 0. Saint John, 

 and family removed to Iowa, settling at Waterloo, in Black Hawk County. 

 Here young Saint John attended the public schools until ready for col- 

 lege, when he set out for Cambridge to study under Agassiz. In 1871, 

 after the completion of his work on the Iowa Geological Survey and his 

 return to Cambridge, he married Mary Sophie Swift, a direct lineal de- 

 scendant from Dean Jonathan Swift, famous eighteenth century English 

 author. 



As a youth in Waterloo, Orestes became intensely interested in the 

 organic remains with which the rocks around his home abounded. Before 

 leaving for college he had already made large and very complete collec- 

 tions of these fossils from the Devonian strata of the Cedar Eiver valley. 

 An especially fine suite of fish remains was obtained. Of these Elasmo- 

 branch teeth were extensively represented. In some way or other con- 

 cerning these teeth, Saint John got into correspondence with Professor 

 Agassiz, who was then engaged on his monumental monograph on the 

 fossil fishes. Presumably the Iowa collector first sent some of his speci- 

 mens to Cambridge for identification. 



It is quite probable that young Saint John first met the great natu- 

 ralist at Iowa City when the latter was lecturing before students at the 

 State University. The first lecture was on the "Coral Reefs of Iowa 

 City."' and was delivered in the University chapel, March 7, 1864. On 

 the day following the lecturer spoke on "Glaciers.'" Agassiz had a pe- 

 culiar faculty of making everything so plain that all who heard him 

 wondered that they had not known the same things before. He was never 

 what one would call an eloquent speaker, but his oratory was altogether 

 the conversational and didactic style. 



At any rate. Agassiz soon had the Iowa youth, witli his collections, in 

 Cambridge helping him. The young enthusiast was at once set to work 

 studying his own treasures. This led to a warm personal friendship be- 

 tween pupil and master, which continued to the death of the latter. On 

 the other hand, this humble beginning and association with a great au- 

 thority developed the former into the leading specialist on the ancient 

 fishes of this country. In after years the pupil, with infinite zest, often 

 related his first experiences and studies under his master. 



