xxviii 



Natural History in the United States, most of whom are pupils of 

 Agassiz. He did more than any one man to break down the old 

 curriculum of the public schools, and to force the introduction of the 

 teachmg of science. His own lectures introduced popular scientific dis- 

 quisitions into the Lyceum courses, so universal in America. He was an 

 admirable lecturer, fascinating to his audience, and carrying them along 

 by his ov^m enthusiasm ; and few even of the public men of America had 

 such a deep hold upon the community as Agassiz. His management of 

 the State Legislature, upon whom he long depended for the support of 

 the museum, was as simple as it was effectiye. Farmers, merchants, 

 lawyers, and business men, who cared yery little for Xatural History, 

 freely gaye to Agassiz, whose motives were always unselfish, and whose 

 sole aim was the advancement of science. 



His wish was to leave this museum as a legacy to the people of America. 

 He gradually gave less time to special investigations and more to the 

 museum, which was to show the forms of life in a connected order. 



He brought back a vast collection of specimens from his expedition to 

 Brazil, the results of which expedition are described by Agassiz and his 

 wife in the work ' A Journey to Brazil.' This expedition was undertaken 

 at the cost of Mr. Nathaniel Thayer, who unasked, offered to defray all the 

 expenses, personal and scientific, of six assistants ; and eventually did even 

 more than he had promised, continuing to meet all the expenses that were 

 incurred until the last specimen was stored in the Cambridge University. 

 But not even the sight of familiar fishes, that reminded him of old times 

 at Munich and of Spix and Martins, could turn Agassiz again to special 

 studies. He worked on as indefatigably as ever, keeping up his relations 

 with the public, his interest in education, his voluminous correspondence, 

 and gi^'iug popular lectures. 



But the strain of all this was too great, and in 1869 he was seized with 

 a cerebral attack. He, however, recovered from this, and in the year 1871 

 joined an exploring-exp edition under the direction of the Coast Survey. 

 The steamer ' Hassler' was fitted out expressly to make deep-sea dredg- 

 ings along the coasts of South America and the west coast of North 

 America. Agassiz had become deeply interested in the results of the 

 deep-sea dredgings he made in 1866 and 1867 in the Straits of Blorida, 

 during an expedition under the direction of the Coast Survey, in which he 

 was accompanied by Count Pourtales. Although the plans of the 

 ' Hassler ' Expedition were most carefully matm'ed, it was not a suc- 

 cess as far as dredging-operations were concerned. He submitted cheer- 

 fully to all the hardships of the voyage round Cape Horn to California, 

 and came back laden with fresh collections. In the course of this expe- 

 dition a careful exploration was made of the Sargasso Sea, and a nest- 

 building fish discovered, and other important contributions made to Natural 

 Science. His life ended happily ; he saw his Museum w^ell supplied with 

 funds and rapidly progressing in size and order. By the aid of the gift of 



