an American fish of which I had duplicates. My earnest desire has always 

 been, and is now, to put our universities on a footing with those of Europe, or 

 even ahead of them ; so that there would be the same disposition among 

 European students to come to America for the completion of their education 

 that there always has been among our students to avail themselves of the ad- 

 vantages of European universities and schools. And I think the time has now 

 come when this object can be gained. This is evident every way, and is seen, 

 more particularly, in the disposition of the professors of Harvard College to 



acquire and encourage high scientific culture I have for several years 



past been consulting with an architect, my friend Mr. Henry Greenough, in 

 regard to the proper plan on which a museum should be built. It is desirable 

 that it should be fireproof, though a moderate expense would not allow of 

 its being entirely so. The building should be on a large area, and I should 

 hardly wish to have it erected unless with the idea of indefinite extension. 

 My idea in regard to the collections is to furnish you with what money will 

 not buy for you when I am gone, — specimens which will be invaluable 

 because they cannot be easily procured elsewhere I receive no com- 

 pensation whatever for the salaries of my assistants, but pay them out of my 



own pocket Several years since twelve thousand dollars were raised 



by citizens of Boston to secure these collections for the Scientific School, 

 and I have spent a great part of my earnings in enlarging them. There 

 is not an assistant in my department whom I do not now pay out of my own 

 pocket, and I expect to incur personally the expense of labelling and pre- 

 paring the specimens when they are put in the new building, should one 

 be erected." 



The Committee made a favorable report, and on the 2d of April, 

 1859, the Legislature of Massachusetts voted that aid should be granted 

 to the Museum of Comparative Zoology to the extent of not more than 

 one hundred thousand dollars, payable from sales of lands belonging 

 to the Commonwealth in the Back Bay. The sum of seventy-one 

 thousand one hundred and twenty-five dollars was also raised by pri- 

 vate subscription among the citizens of Boston "for the purpose of 

 erecting a fire-proof building in Cambridge suitable to receive, to pro- 

 tect, and to exhibit advantageously and freely to all comers, the collec- 

 tion of objects in Natural Science brought together by Professor Louis 

 Agassiz, with such additions as may hereafter be made to it." 



THE PLAN OP THE BUILDING. 



In June, 1859, articles of agreement were made and executed 

 between the Trustees of the Museum of Comparative Zoology and 

 the President and Fellows of Harvard College, and a piece of land of 

 about five acres in extent was deeded by Harvard College to the 

 Museum for the purpose of erecting a fire-proof building to contain 



