Biographical Sketch of Charles Wachsmuth. — Keyes. 133 
days were spent in the quarries and ravines around the city, 
his wife often looking after the store. This mode of life was 
at once apparent in a wonderful improvement in health. In 
the course of a few years a fine collection of crinoids had been 
brought together. It reached such dimensions that it attracted 
the attention of eastern scientists. Prof. Louis Agassiz came 
to see it on his lecturing trips to the West; and Meek and 
Worthen asked the loan of specimens for description in the 
geological reports of Illinois, which were then being prepared. 
In 1865 Mr. Wachsmuth closed out his business and, accom¬ 
panied by his wife, made a trip to Europe. On his way he 
visited Cambridge, upon invitation from Prof. Agassiz, and 
saw the large collections in the Museum of Comparative Zo¬ 
ology. This awakened a keen interest. Until then he had 
seen very few crinoids aside from those found at Burlington. 
His delight knew no bounds when he could study in Cam¬ 
bridge the fossil crinoids from other localities, and a number 
of specimens of living types. In Europe all sorts of inverte¬ 
brate fossils were collected and visits made to the principal 
museums. When England was reached it was a great surprise 
to find that the reputation of the Burlington collection already' 
had preceded him. 
On returning to Burlington, after an absence of almost a 
year, Mr. Wachsmuth resolved to devote the rest of his life 
to scientific pursuits, and to direct his whole attention to 
the crinoids. Living far from any of the scientific centers, 
and not having access to the literature, he had to depend for 
study largely upon his own specimens. This, however, proved 
afterwards an advantage, necessitating independent thought 
and original research. The various state reports to which 
there was access gave a superficial knowledge of the principal 
genera, but they did not throw' much light upon the morpho¬ 
logy of the class, in w'hich the greatest interest centered. Of 
great help was a visit of F. B. Meek, who came to Burlington 
in the interest of the Illinois Geological Survey to study the 
collection. During the preparation of the fifth volume of 
that organization several unique structural specimens w r ere 
found, which seemed to throw light upon the mouth and ambu¬ 
lacra of the ancient forms. The specimens aroused Mr. Meek’s 
interest in a high degree, as proving conclusively that at least 
