T 5 



rubbish, for in one of his lectures "on the affinities of ani- 

 mal life," he makes the following statement: " Aristotle 

 knew more of certain kinds of animals and their general 

 relations than is known now. Strange to say T have 

 studied the Selacians on the South American coast by the 

 light of Aristotle's researches upon them in the Mediter- 

 ranean Sea made by him more than 2000 years ago. I 

 can fairly add that the knowledge of Aristotle on these 

 topics is so far ahead of the current information recorded 

 in modern works of natural history that his statements 

 can only be understood by one who has made a special 

 study of these animals. I wish I could handle my sub- 

 ject with Aristotle's mastery." In the battle raging be- 

 tween the advocates of classical and scientific education 

 this information may operate to some extent as an argu- 

 ment for truce and compromise, for here is common 

 ground, a zona libra — on which both can stand. 



A late writer says of Agassiz, " Not this nation only, 

 but the world, has suffered a great loss. More than any 

 man since Ouvier and Yon Humboldt, has he been known 

 over the whole world. His fame arose alike from the 

 great number and value of his original investigations and 

 publications, from his ability as a philosopher and from 

 his power of inspiring others with his own enthusiasm 



The mention of Humboldt's name recalls the fact that 

 to him we are indebted for Agassiz. who said " he (Hum- 

 boldt) has always treated me as a friend, and his good 

 counsels have been to me like those of a father." Thus 

 the debt America and the world owes the great German 

 philosopher is doubled and will go on increasing with 

 compound interest for many centuries, for through Agas- 

 siz to Humboldt we owe the many younger scientists now 

 in the field and the wonderful scientific interest now ex- 

 hibited in the country. There was much in the charac- 

 teristics of the two men and their lives alike. In daunt- 

 less courage and indefatigable energy, wide scope of learm 

 ing, great ability in generalizing, and acuteness of obser- 

 vation, — in willingness to learn from any source and anx- 

 iety to impart their knowledge — in the humility of vast 



