92 



Louis Agassiz. 



with the faults of spoiled children, and yet with the 

 nobility of character and the enthusiasm of youth. 

 Their look is wholly turned toward the future." 



Of all the scientists Agassiz selected Dana as 

 showing the most promise, considering him the head 

 and leader. He held Gould, Wilkes, De Kay, Hol- 

 brook, and Pickering in high estimation, declaring 

 the latter to be a well of science. Le Conte, Wy- 

 man, Torrey, Gray, Pierce, Jackson, James Hall, 

 Rogers, Dr. Morton, and others he fully appreciated, 

 and wrote to friends in Europe regarding their work 

 and high aims in the world of science. 



Never before had Agassiz enjoyed so favourable an 

 opportunity to study marine life, and with avidity 

 he availed himself of the facilities afforded by the 

 neighbouring shore of Nahant, where later he made 

 his home. Here he made many remarkable and 

 interesting discoveries among the lower forms of 

 marine life, which were read by his friends in Paris 

 before the Academy of Sciences. It was at this 

 time that Dr. Holder, late curator of zoology at the 

 American Museum of Natural History, New York, 

 and father of the author, met Agassiz, joining him in 

 many of his expeditions along Lynn Bay and the 

 shores of Nahant. 



To the author he often referred to Agassiz, espe- 

 cially to his principles, not only holding him up as 

 one of the greatest of living scientists in his estima- 

 tion, but believing that the feature in his doctrine 

 that the Creator was everywhere shown by the 

 teachings of nature, would as time advanced give 

 him increasing fame and an undying place in history. 



