158 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



light lasted, he assisted me in opening boxes and bottles 

 and in separating out the various groups of marine organ- 

 isms, especially selecting the Echini which he was to take 

 to America, having consented to describe this group of 

 organisms for the Report on the Scientific Results of 

 the Expedition. While this work was going on we had 

 abundant opportunity for discussing the work and re- 

 sults of the expedition and every aspect of the new 

 science of the sea. I was relatively young, and often 

 recounted to him the comic and other incidents of the 

 voyage, and he would smile and seem amused. His atti- 

 tude was, however, in striking contrast to the boister- 

 ous merriment of Haeckel when engaged with me in the 

 same place and in similar occupations." 



Agassiz's influence was no small factor in determining 

 Thomson to distribute the work on the Challenger col- 

 lections among the best specialists, irrespective of their 

 nationality. This not unnaturally created a storm at the 

 British Museum. Agassiz's own work on the Challenger 

 Echini was much delayed owing to his expeditions on 

 the Blake, which will be spoken of later. 



TO SIR JOHN MURRAY 1 



Newport, July 1, 1879. 



I was extremely sorry to hear of Sir Wyville's illness 



from your letter of June 16th just received. I had not 



heard anything about it. I trust most sincerely he will 



recover completely with the rest in prospect. He had 



1 He was one of the naturalists on the Challenger, and after the death 

 of Thomson completed the publication of the reports of the expedition. 

 In March, 1911, at the request of the Corporation of Harvard, he deliv- 

 ered a memorial address to Agassiz in Sanders Theatre at Cambridge. 



