I50 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vov. XXXII. 
worked at Neuchatel, teaching his classes, directing his assist- 
ants, artists, etc., and working away at his various books, of 
which he had now in hand, besides those already mentioned, 
one upon fossil molluscs and one — the Nomenclator Zoologicus 
—the compilation of which must have been about as tedious 
a bit of work as one could easily imagine, but a work indis- 
pensable to the systematic zoologist of to-day. His work on 
fossil fishes had extended his reputation, and the treasures in 
the collections of several wealthy patrons of science in Eng- 
land were poured in to be worked over and incorporated in the 
series of volumes on these forms. 
So from the scientific standpoint, affairs were most prosper- 
ous during these years at Neuchatel, but financially they were 
far less rosy. Agassiz was not a business man, and his pub- 
lications and his lithographic establishment were a terrible 
load. Books upon subjects of pure science never have paid 
their expenses, and the prospect is that they never will. So 
all the bills for artists, assistants, lithographers, and printers 
had to be paid from the small income of a professor in a pro- 
vincial academy. At last the limit was reached and the litho- 
graphic establishment had to be sold. 
At this time of financial distress Agassiz received, through 
the good services of Lyell, the geologist, an invitation to 
deliver a course of lectures before that unique institution, the . 
Lowell Institute in Boston. Here was a chance to see the New 
World, and the opportunity was the more eagerly seized since » 
the king of Prussia (Neuchatel was then a part of the Prussian 
domain) gave Agassiz $3000 to aid him in his American 
explorations. Leave of absence was obtained from the acad- 
emy at Neuchatel and in 1846 Agassiz left for America, never 
to return to his Swiss home except as a visitor for a few 
months. 
Boston received the newcomer with the greatest cordiality, 
and a little later Philadelphia and Charleston were scarcely 
behind in the warmth of their welcome. He hired a house in 
East Boston, and this soon became almost a repetition of the 
old home at Neuchatel. Together with Agassiz, or following 
close upon his heels, came one after another of the old Swiss 
