Agassiz in Brazil. 



119 



be accounted for. Such was the doctrine of this 

 brilliant mind ; yet no one could stand the physi- 

 cal and mental strain its fulfilment demanded, and 

 he, the man who had slept on the glacier night after 

 night with only a blanket beneath him, who had 

 buffeted a thousand mental and physical storms, 

 began to fail. The pace was telling. The advice of 

 his friend Cuvier that work kills was in a fair way 

 to be demonstrated ; in short, a rest and change was 

 demanded, and Agassiz took it in a characteristic 

 manner — by forming one of the most important 

 expeditions of his life, one which resulted in many 

 valuable discoveries and much arduous labour. He 

 had decided to make a trip to Brazil as a vacation, 

 and while the matter was under discussion he met a 

 friend, Mr. Nathaniel Thayer, of Boston, who gener- 

 ously offered to equip a party and defray the ex- 

 penses of the expedition. The party was composed 

 of Professor and Mrs. Agassiz, his old friend Burk- 

 hardt, as artist, John G. Anthony, conchologist, 

 Orestes St. John and Frederick C. Hartt as geolo- 

 gists, John A. Allen, ornithologist, and George 

 Sceva as preparator. In addition to these a number 

 of volunteers joined the party. Agassiz's brother- 

 in-law, Thomas G. Gary, Walter Hunnewell, S. V. R. 

 Thayer, Newton Dexter, William James, Thomas 

 Ward and Edward Copeland, also Dr. and Mrs. 

 Cotting. 



It will be remembered that Agassiz was given the 

 Spix collection of Brazilian fishes to describe by his 

 companion Martins, and from that time he had always 

 longed to study these beautiful forms in their 



