436 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



in the land of the Pharaohs was excited by a little book 

 by Mr. Martin Brimmer, lent him by Agassiz. 



On his way through France, Agassiz stopped at Monte 

 Carlo to see the Prince of Monaco, and the boat the Prince 

 was using for his oceanographic work, to which he had 

 been devoting for a number of years a large part of 

 his royalties from the gambling-tables. Thus those who 

 throw their money away at the Casino can have the 

 consolation of knowing that they are really supporting 

 scientific research. 



TO MRS. G. R. AGASSIZ 



Paris, March 3, 1906. 

 I am glad to be in Paris again and will try and settle 

 down and begin to work on the address I have to give 

 in August, 1907, as President of the Zoological Con- 

 gress, which meets in Boston in August. I tried hard 

 to get out of it, but could not manage it. I hate to give 

 that sort of thing ; one has to spend no end of time in 

 saying nothing of any value and yet accuracy is needed 

 and requires endless quotations and looking up people's 

 views. I never but once delivered such an address, to the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science, 

 ever so long ago at Cambridge, and if I remember rightly 

 it cost me six months of hard work. I infinitely prefer 

 to write a large monograph or a report on an expedition, 

 where there is something definite, and when you have 

 done, something of value remains. Though it is true that 

 for the short time of a month or so the address calls for 

 a lot of notoriety and discussions, neither of which is to 

 my taste. I tried while loafing at Cairo to make a start, 

 but could not get going. It seemed hopeless. I hope to 

 succeed better while here and in London. I am here for 



