(Born: Motier-en-Vuly, Fribourg, Switzerland, 28 May 1807; Died: Cambridge, Massacheusetts, U.S.A., 14 December 1873) Swiss/American physician, zoologist & geologist.

Agassiz was educated in France, Switzerland and Germany, receiving an M.D. from the University of Heidelberg in 1826 and a Ph.D. from the University of Erlangen in 1829. He conducted zoological research under Georges Cuvier and became professor of natural history at the University Neuchatel, Switzerland (1832-46). In 1846, he came to America teaching at Yale and Harvard. Agassiz became an American citizen in 1862, and settled in Cambridge as a professor of zoology at Harvard. He was a founding member of the National Academy of Sciences. As a professor he trained many outstanding zoologists and geologists of the next generation.

Biographical references: ABA: I 9, 387-464; 1811, 354-364; II 5, 50-62; S 1, 385-415. • American Malacologists: p. 58. • Appleton Cyclopedia of American Biography. • Catalogue of Portraits of Naturalists: 101 [9 portraits listed]. • DAB: 1, 114-22 [by D.S. Jordan and J.K. Jordan]. • Drake, Dictionary of American Biography, 1872. • DSB: 1, 72-4 [by E. Lurie]. • Elliott, Biographical Index, 1990: p. 5. • Elliott, Biographical Dictionary, 1979: p. 13. • Ireland, Index to Scientists, 1962. • Kelley & Burrage, American Medical Biography, 1928. • National Academy of Science Biographical Memoirs: 2, ??. • National Cyclopedia of American Biography. • Poggendorff: 1, col. 16. • WBI. • World Who's Who in Science: p. 13. • Zischka, Allgemeines Gelehrten-Lexikon, 1961: p. 8.

1. English, 1848-54 [First edition].
Bibliographia | Zoologiæ et Geologiæ. | [double rule] | A General Catalogue | of all | Books, Tracts, and Memoirs | on | Zoology and Geology. | By Prof. Louis Agassiz, | Corr. Memb. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sc. &c. | Corrected, enlarged, and edited | By H.E. Strickland, M.A., F.G.S. &c. | Vol. I. | containing Periodicals, | and the Alphabetical List from A to BYW. | London: | Printed for the Ray Society. | 1848.

[Volume 2 reads:]

Bibliographia | ... | Vol. II. | Containing the Alphabetical List from CAB to FYE. | ... | 1850.

[Volume 3 reads:]

Bibliographia | ... | Vol. III. | Containing the Alphabetical List from GAB to MYL. | ... | 1852.

[Volume 4 reads:]

Bibliographia | ... | and | Sir William Jardine, Bart., F.R.S.E., &c. | Vol. IV. | Containing the Alphabetical List from NAC to ZWI. | ... | 1854.

[Series title page:]

The | Ray Society. | Instituted MDCCCXLIV. | [ornament] | London. | MDCCCXLVIII [-MDCCCLIV].

4 vols. [Vol 1: 1848] 8°: a⁸ b⁴ B-2I⁸ 2K⁴ 2L²; 266l.; [2], i-xxiii, [1], 1-506 p. [Vol 2: 1850] 8°: π³ B-2H⁸ 2I⁷; 249l.; [6], 1-492 p. [Vol 3: 1852] 8°: π³ B-2S⁸ 2T⁹; 332l.; [6], 1-657, [1] p. [Vol 4: 1854] 8°: π³ B-2P⁸ 2Q⁶; 305l.; [6], 1-604 p. Page size: 220 x 144 mm.

Contents: [Vol 1] [2 pgs], Series title page, "The | Ray Society. | Instituted MDCCCXLIV. | [portrait of John Ray] | London. | MDCCCXLVIII," verso blank.; [i-ii], Title page, verso "Printed By | Richard And John Edward Taylor, | …"; [iii], "Contents."; [iv], Blank.; [v]-xii, "Preface By The Editor"-signed H.E. Strickland, April 1848.; [xiii]-xxiii, "List Of Abbreviations Used In Part II."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-506, Text (A-Byw).

[Vol 2] [2 pgs], Series title page, "The | Ray Society. | Instituted MDCCCXLIV. | [portrait of John Ray] | London. | MDCCCL," verso blank.; [i-ii], Title page, verso "Printed By | Richard And John Edward Taylor, | …"; [1 pg], "Errata In Vol. I."; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-492, Text (C-Fyf).

[Vol 3] [2 pgs], Series title page, "The | Ray Society. | Instituted MDCCCXLIV. | [portrait of John Ray] | London. | MDCCCLIII," verso blank.; [i-ii], Title page, verso "Printed By | Richard And John Edward Taylor, | …"; [1 pg], "Notice."-signed H.E. Strickland, 23 July 1852.; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-657, Text (G-Myl).; [1 pg], "Printed By Taylor And Francis | …"

[Vol 4] [2 pgs], Series title page, "The | Ray Society. | Instituted MDCCCXLIV. | [portrait of John Ray] | London. | MDCCCLIV," verso blank.; [i-ii], Title page, verso "Printed By | Richard And John Edward Taylor, | …"; [1 pg], "Advertisement."-dated 1 December 1854.; [1 pg], Blank.; [1]-604, Text (N-Zwi).

Scarce. This important early bibliography lists all the titles known to the author and editors pertaining to zoology and geology from the earliest times to almost the time of publication. The text is in two parts. The first part (vol. 1, pp. 1-86) lists periodicals and other sources consulted, while the second is the bibliography proper, arranged alphabetically by author. The entries are abbreviated, with little detail, as is expected in a work of this scope. However, it is a valuable source for information on early works.

Bibliographical references: BL [Ac.3023/3.]. • Mengel, Catalogue of the Ellis Collection, 1972-83: 1, 11-2, no. 24. • NUC. • Wood, Literature of Vertebrate Zoology, 1931: 182.

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