78 | Obituary. 
was overcome with a sense of debility, and retired unaided to his 
house and his bed, never to leave them. He lectured not ee 
with ease, before the State Board of Acculeces, but with a 
unwonted energy, even for him; an evidence, no doubt, of osreb 
disturbance, of which many other proofs are known, But, the 
next day, the bad effects of his over-exertion were so evident 
that, by command of his physician, he relinquished an engagement 
to lecture at New Ha aven on the 
Born on the 28th of May, 1807, Agassiz. had attained au his 67th 
He was in his fortieth year when, in Oct., 1846, he landed at 
oston, in the maturity of his reputation and of his remarkable 
i tolieciael powers. He came here at the suggestion of Baron 
on Humboldt, who secured for his study of American geology 
ssia. He first announced his intention to visit the United 
States in a letter .o Prof. Silliman, dated at Neufchatel, Oct. 20, 
1845. How great the change since, in his relations to the people 
and s pecniae men of America! He then wrote as follows: 
= After having finished all these numerous works in the study, I 
have truly need to replenish myself anew in the fields; and I 
rvest i 
r country. 
to thank you enough, my dear Sir, for all the information you 
have taken the trouble to send me; it has already been of 
great use to me in preparing myself for such a journey, and will 
rve me as a guide on my arrival in your pee where J have 
no relations or acquaintance amon en of scien You 
are the only person in the United States with whom 1 os 
a correspondence. I wrote once t , and on 
without receiving any reply from the latter. * * “All “that t you 
say to me of American naturalists and of their kindness, enchants 
me, and the time spent in America will surely be to me one of the 
ous republic “Knowing the great desire I had to visit 
your ares Ba the oe gig of doing it at my own expense, 
his Excellency, the Baron von Humboldt, who has always treated 
as = edge and whéke eering counsels have been to me like those 
ats By of tw 0 years, tvailng. alone e. sees wever, deceive to profit 
by this opportunity to gather as much as possible of the materials 
of the natural history of the United ha. my spas . to have 
a preparateur and Se opt accompany me, so as to have 
drawn from life all the fishes of your Tee and lakes, which have 
