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The time seemed now to have arrived for him to 

 carry into execution a purpose which he had long 

 formed, of collecting for Brown University a 

 Museum of Natural History. Professor Agassiz 

 had once remarked in his presence that there were 

 more investigators than collectors. The thought 

 was to him an inspiration, and from that moment he 

 determined to spend the closing years of his life in 

 thus advancing the cause of science and religion. 

 On the same day when he sent in his resignation as 

 Principal, he addressed a formal communication to 

 his friend and former instructor, Professor Caswell, 

 now President of the University, off ering his services. 

 " For while," he said, " the College is one of the 

 oldest institutions in the country, there is no one half 

 as old that has not better facilities for illustrating 

 any branch of Natural Science, and I am positively 

 ashamed of my Alma Mater." The return mail 

 brought a reply saying, " Come and dine with me on 

 Saturday and we will talk Natural History." In 

 conversation the President was found to be keenly 

 alive to the existing deficiencies of the College, but 

 said, " There is not a dollar in the treasury that can 

 be devoted to the building up of a Museum." "And 

 there never will be," was the reply, "until a be- 

 ginning is made." The result was a beginning. 

 Contributions to the amount of a thousand dollars 

 were at once secured from friends of the enterprise. 

 Two floor cases for minerals, fossils and shells, and 

 an upright wall case for mounted birds were placed 



