400 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



science and not to be temporarily known by a kind of 

 cheap notoriety as an American millionaire." 



While pouring out his fortune for science with one 

 hand, he was generous almost to a fault to his children 

 with the other, when he had once satisfied himself that 

 they were not likely to abuse his liberality. If they some- 

 times laughingly expostulated at some piece of parental 

 extravagance in their behalf, he always replied with his 

 irresistible smile that he wanted to be sure his sons were 

 not waiting for him to die. 



On his way home from the Maldives he spent several 

 weeks in Paris. " I have worked like a beaver while 

 here/' he writes, "and have practically finished my re- 

 port on the Maldives — it now only needs reference to 

 literature, and the getting up of charts and photographs 

 to have it ready for the press. I am mighty glad to 

 have it off my hands while it is fresh in my mind." In 

 another letter he writes : " Somehow I am feeling the 

 reaction of this trip. I have no appetite and have lost 

 fourteen pounds since reaching Paris, but the doctor 

 says there is nothing out except that I have worked a 

 little too fast." 



On his way home, via England, he ran up to Edin- 

 burgh to deliver an address on Coral Reefs before the 

 Royal Society of Edinburgh. From his plans for that 

 event, as sketched in the following letter, it does not 

 appear that he contemplated working less strenuously. 



TO SIR JOHN MURRAY 



Paris, March 3, 1902. 



I returned here a couple of days ago and find your 

 letter of February 12. It 's too bad about the condition 



