io8 



Louis Agassiz. 



than the Museum of Comparative Zoology at 

 Harvard." This was the wish of Agassiz, who did 

 not desire it to bear his name, which would have 

 delighted every one, but to-day, it is generally known 

 and rightly, as the Agassiz Museum. He was its 

 founder, its builder from inception to finish. The 

 legacy of Mr. Gray was followed by others. The 

 University granted the land for the building site, 

 and the State provided lands to the value of one 

 hundred thousand dollars for the edifice, to which 

 were added other sums — the subscriptions of private 

 parties, and finally, the present Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology with its fine collections was begun. 



It should not be supposed that Agassiz obtained 

 the appropriation from the State without some 

 trouble. He met the legislators appointed to confer 

 with him in the hall of the Capitol, and was listened 

 to by the members of both Houses as he plead for 

 science as a man would for his life. He spoke for 

 Massachusetts and education, claiming that the Bay 

 State should take the lead and keep it. He had 

 determined to give his life to that end if Massachu- 

 setts would aid him. My great object," he said, 

 is to have a museum founded here which will be 

 equal to the great museums of the Old World. We 

 have a continent before us for exploration, which 

 has as yet been only skimmed on the surface. My 

 earnest desire has always been to put our museums 

 on a footing with those of Europe or even ahead of 

 them." The address stirred the hearts and patriot- 

 ism of the hearers, though there were some who cast 

 ridicule upon the proposition to build, as they said. 



