Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 71.djvu/552

546 of the lowest vertebrates. In this way he broke up the idea that the animal kingdom formed a continuous ladder in creation, from the lowest form to man. This was an important approach to a phylogenetic diagram, for it was readily seen that the lower forms in each great division had closer affinities with each other than existed among the higher members. In other words, that his schematic lines should not be made parallel, but should converge below—a genealogical tree in fact. His generalized or prophetic types lend overwhelming support to this conclusion.

It has been repeatedly said, and with truth, that Agassiz's teachings paved the way for the prompt acceptance of the theory of evolution— first, because he familiarized the great public with a structural knowledge of the animal kingdom and the affinities existing between the different groups, and, second, because he demonstrated the recapitulation theory of Von Baer, and added the great conception that the history of the animal kingdom from the earliest geological horizons added further proof of these principles. Agassiz came to an environment well fitted to encourage him. He came to an intellectual center famous for its leadership in science and letters, but the hearty reception accorded him in widely separated regions leads to the conviction that had he settled anywhere in the Country he would have inspired the same enthusiasm and induced hard-headed legislators everywhere to have voted large appropriations, and private citizens to contribute generous sums. It required only his touch to bring into recognition names among us that had before his magic influence been known only in limited circles. Men of the caliber of those of 1846 are a thousand times more widely known to-day, not because of the changed character of the public press, which celebrates with equal prominence and impartiality girl graduates of a public school and men who have revolutionized the world by their inventions, but becousebecause [sic] he made us appreciate the worth of an investigator. Our nation has always believed in education and public schools, and hence has universally approved of high endowments for educational purposes. His great plea and one that had its effect on the legislators was that the museum was an educational institution, that it was to be opened every day free to the public and that it was a sound investment, though its dividends were wholly intellectual. A few personal reminiscences may be of interest at this point. In the early part of the civil war, one of our class enlisted and received an appointment as an officer of the line—the rest of us bought a fine sword and presented it to him. On showing the sword to Agassiz, he instantly threw himself into the attitude of a fencer and became absorbed in thrust and parry, utterly unconscious of our amazement at his earnestness and skill. We learned afterwards that as a student at Munich he had not only fought a number of student duels