Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-06-11

adapted as MS inoueS vi coih'huiii-
eating with them were to their diff
ferent natures. There probably
never was a naturalist who combin-
ed such n knowledge of their phys
ical organization with such a pene-
trating glance into what he called
their souls. He was, in the Dthe-
ties of zoology, the dramatists of
animal kingdom, as Shakespeare
was the dramatist of the human
race. Whether he had to do with
iclly-fish, or a whale, or an eleph-
ant, he knew each of them as
Shakespeare knew the varieties of
human kind, from "the heart out
ward, and not from the flesh in
ward" 1t was curious to notice
his behavior in the presence OF the
domesticated animals. The ugliest,
flthiest, stupidest, and most I'M
reasonable, most obstinate creature
in the barnyard is the pig, yet.
with a stick in his hand, Agassiz
would 60 up 10 the most unsocia-
BILE, "cantankerous," misanthropic
grunter, aud after few soft words
and n movement of the stick over
bristles of the creature in the right
direction, the pig would lift its head
erect, its small eye would glisten
with a vague intelligence, it would
remain almost motionless in kind
of pleased surprised, and emit a
sound indicative of as much con-
tent and comfort as is indicated by
the purring of eat. The neigh
of horse to him was more friend
ly neigh than any ever heard by a
hostler or a jockey. He carried
serpcnts in his hat and in his peck
cts with a grand unconcern, and
dropped them sometimes even in
his bedroom, so that his wife was
frequently troubled by finding
them cooled mp in her boots. When
ever he entered menagerie lie was
eagerly welcomed by lions, tigers,
wolves, hyenas, and other beasts OF
prey, which considered their keep
ers as stupid louis, but recognized
in him the one person that they
could have a rational conversation
with. Beauty" says the poet, 'is
its own excuse for being" Agas-
siz went beyond this tolerant maxim
to the extent of affirming that
Deformity has its own excuse for
being. The fact that any animal
existed was with him justirica-
ton of its existence and after con-
versing with it, and penetrating to
its interior nature, he treated it as
Shakespeare treated Dogherry, or
Ancient Pistol, or Mrs. Quickly, or
any other queer blood relations
connected with him through com
mon decent from Adam. AS there
was no form of human existence
which was too low to be beneath
the humane sympathies of Shaks-
peare, so there was no kind Of ami
NAL existence which was too low to
engage the sympathies of Agassiz.
And the most evil members OF
the Animal Kingdom had no malig
nant feeling toward him; indeed,
they cheerfully consented to let him
kill them, knowing by such a cub
mission to his will they were prac-
tically elected as representatives
Of their species in the grand legis-
lative assembly Of the Animal
Kingdom gathered in the great
hall OF the Museum of Compare
tive Zoology, under the literal
"Speakership" Of Agassiz that Is,
under the man who was alone capa-
BILE Of being the interpreter of their
language, so that its signs could be
clearly understood by the human
race, from which they are divided
by peculiarities Of organization
and Of soul. One can almost con-
ceive Of these martyrs Of the Ami.
NAL Kingdom as rejoicing while
enduring the death which insured
to the species to which they be.
longed an intelligent recognition Of
their merits the members OF the
superior race, TO whom they were
thus introduced through his friend
ly agency. Whenever I look al
! them, preserved 80 carefully In their