country are suffering from a lack of sympathy and contact between the
devotees of the several branches, and for want of definite efforts to
bridge the gaps between various disciplines wherever this is possible.
It may not often be possible until men of science generally again take
up the study of Plato and Aristotle, or at least busy themselves, as
did Agassiz, with some comprehensive modern philosopher like Schelling.
But it should not be very hard for those who are engaged in the
biological sciences and those who are given to literary pursuits to
realize that they are alike interested in the manifestations of one and
the same thing, the principle of life. In Agassiz himself the vitality
of his studies and the vitality of the man are easily identified.

In conclusion I must thank the publishers, Houghton Mifflin Company,
for the use of selections from the copyright books of Mrs. Agassiz and
Professor Shaler; these and all other obligations are, I trust,
indicated in the proper places by footnotes. I owe a special debt of
gratitude to Professor Burt G. Wilder for his interest and help
throughout.

LANE COOPER

CORNELL UNIVERSITY,

April 7, 1917.




CONTENTS