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Louis Agassiz. 



it may be many years before any one can command 

 the means and the time for their examination and elu- 

 cidation. It requires a rare combination of quahfica- 

 tions for its solution, particularly that of the mechan- 

 ical faculty ; and we can but hope that from among 

 our young students of California will come those 

 who can demonstrate it successfully. 



I close with a few words of a power which he pos- 

 sessed, so unusual among scientific men, yet so abso- 

 lutely necessary for the development of science as 

 understood by the specialists, and of knowledge as 

 taught by the colleges, that we can but pray without 

 ceasing his mantle may fall and cover many shoulders. 

 Others possess it — perhaps only differing in degree — 

 or the magnificent endowments which have been 

 made to our higher seats of learning would have been 

 devoted to other purposes. Yet he first made the 

 claims of science a demand upon the affluent who 

 had grown wealthy through the practical applications 

 of scientific investigations and discoveries. He 

 would admit of no compromise measures — science 

 had taken a back seat too long ; her votaries had 

 been sneered at as particularly deserving reproba- 

 tion for lack of the money-making faculty ; and he 

 repudiated the supposed eleemosynary character of 

 the gifts grudgingly made to her. He boldly stood 

 forth as the champion of the self-sacrificing devotees 

 of science. For the benefit of human knowledge 

 he had given, with unsparing prodigality, the mental 

 and physical activity of a life noted for its remark- 

 able vigour, endurance, and consecutiveness ; and his 

 sense of justice was aroused to appeal for help to 



