Alexander Agassiz : his life and scientific work / by Sir John Murray.

  • Murray, John, Sir, 1841-1914.
Date:
1911
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Alexander Agassiz : his life and scientific work / by Sir John Murray. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/28 (page 144)
    eight days from Queenstown, which for the season was admirable. I found Father much better than I had hoped to see him again. He manages to come to the Museum for an hour or so a day, sees a few of his friends every day, and keeps going just enough to be employed. He improves daily, and I see no reason why he should not have a long period of usefulness yet, though of course nothing like his old work can now be expected from him again....” In March, 1871 he writes (from Cambridge) —“I am just getting out a new edition of the Seaside Studies, which will, however, be a mere reprint.” — and in March, 1872, “I hope you will accept the offer to go round the globe, and if you go may you get all the ante- diluvial things left. I am greatly afraid Father’s expedition is not going to result as well as we hoped; the vessel is a great disappoint¬ ment, five weeks out of ten they have spent repairing. They have left Rio, and the next mail trust to hear from them in the Straits of Magellan.” In April, 1872 he says: — “ Don’t be alarmed by the number of my epistles. But I wanted to acknowledge at once the safe arrival of the ‘Calveria’ and of the ‘Phormosoma.’ I need not tell you how greatly obliged I am to you.” The “Revision of the Echini” 1 began to appear the year after his return from Europe. This is the best known of the works of Alexander Agassiz and at once stamped the writer as the leading authority on the subject. Part I. deals with the literature, nomenclature, syn¬ onymy, and geographical distribution of the Echini, and extends to 242 pages. Part II. deals with the Echini of the east coast of the United States, including a report on the deep-sea Echini collected in the Straits of Florida by Pourtales in 1867-1869, and extends to 136 pages. Part III. contains the descriptions of the species of recent Echini, and extends to 251 pages. Part IV. deals with the structure and embryology of the Echini, and exterids to 141 pages. The text thus occupies 770 quarto pages, and is illustrated by seven maps showing the geographical distribution and 87 plates giving full figures and details, in addition to numerous wood-cuts in the text. This Report represents an immense amount of work and close study, and it became the standard for all subsequent investigations dealing with this class of animals. 1 Revision of the Echini. Illustr. Cat. Mus. Comp. Zool. (Cambridge, Mass.,) No. VII., 1872-1874; by Alexander Agassiz. It was divided into four parts for pur¬ poses of publication; Parts I. and II. were issued together in 1872, the Introduction being dated August, 1872, Part III. in September, 1873, and Part IV. in January, 1874.