AG'ASSIZ, RoDoLpir, one of the most distinguished of modern naturalists, was born at Orbe, in the canton de Vaud, in 1807. After passing through the usual course of elementary learning at Biel and Lausanne, lie prosecuted his studies at Zurich, Heidelberg, and Munich. In early youth he had displayed a strong love of natural history ; and at Heidelberg and Munich comparative anatomy was his favorite occupa tion. In Munich lie became acquainted with Martins and Spix, the well-known travelers in Brazil; and when Spix died (in 1826) his collection of 116 species of fish, collected in Brazil, was left in the care of A., who published it under the title Pisces, etc., quos collegit et pingendos curavit Spix, dcscriPsit A. (Munich, 1829-31, with 91 illustrations in lithog raphy.) Led by this work to study ichthyology more closely, A. next undertook a sys tematic arrangement of the fresh-water fishes found in central Europe. Of this work, the first fasciculus, containing the family of the Salmonidm, appeared at Neufchatel in 1839, with 34 illustrations, and descriptions in French, English, and German. A second fasciculus, prepared by his friend Vogt, Embryologic des Salmons, was published in 1840; and a third, Anatomic des Salmones, appeared in 1845 as a part of the third volume of the Memoirs of the Neufchatel Society of Natural History. Beyond this, the work was not continued. A. at the same time devoted his attention to the fossil remains of fishes, and during his stay in Paris (1831-32), examined several private and public fossil collections. The results of his studies were given in his work 1?echerches sur les Poissons Fossiles, published at Neufchatel, with 311 lithographed illustrations, (1833 42.) Meanwhile he had been invited to take the professorship of natural history at Neufchatel ; and here he found two active young friends, Desor and Vogt, who afforded considerable aid in the completion of his works. With their assistance his work on fossil fishes was brought to a conclusion in 1842. During several visits to England, A. made
himself well acquainted with the collections of fossils in this country; and in 1844 pub lished a monograph on fossil fishes found in the old red sandstone of the Devonian system. His study of these remains led him to examine other fossils; and the results appeared in his works Description des Echinoderms Fossiles de la Suisse, and Monographies d'Echinodermes Virants et Fosshes. In the latter work, Professor Valentin, of Berne, supplied the section on the "Anatomy- of the Sea-urchin." A. next turned his attention to the mollusca, and produced his Critical Studies on Fossil Mollusca, which was soon followed by his Memoirs on the Muscles in Living and Fossil Mohasco. His work on Glaciers excited great interest, as it opened new views in geology. The results of further study were given in a second work on 2 he Systim of Glaciers; or Researches on Glaciers (Paris. 1847). In preparing this work, lie was assisted by his friends Guyot and Desor. In 1846, A. went to North America, where lie was appointed to a professorship in Harvard college, near Boston; from which lie was subsequently translated (1852) to the chair of comparative anatomy in Charleston; but this lie resigned (1854), and returned to Har vard. In Outlines of C.omparatits Physiology, A. upholds the doctrine of the successive creation of higher organized beings on the earth. An Essay on classification, by A., was published (Lund., 1859); and a Journey in Brazil (1868). During the latter of these years. he was appointed a non-resident professor and lecturer in Cornell university, Ithaca, N. Y. ; and, along with count Portales, was intrusted with the dredging operations in the investigation of Gulf Stream, undertaken by the American government in 1871. His last work was the establishment of a school of natural history on the island of Penikese, presented to him by Mr. John Anderson. He died in Dec., 1873.