2 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE 
study of history, geography, and the productions of nature. - 
No book was read by him with greater delight than Robinson 
Crusoe. He knew it almost by heart ; and in all probability its 
perusal awakened in him that eagerness to visit countries yet 
unexplored by science, which was hereafter destined never to — 
leave him. He received his first scientific education at the — 
Friedrich-Wilhelms-Gymnasium at Berlin, of which Spilleké 1 
was then the director, from which establishment he was E 
dismissed with the testimonial No. I. The Gymnasium, a 
however, afforded no opportunity of acquiring botanical 3 
knowledge; but, under the guidance of Ruthe, upper master - 
of the Gewerbschule, he commenced studying and collecting 
plants. With him he went as a pupil weekly to botanize a 
in summer, and if he had leisure for a day or two, it was 3 
devoted to more distant excursions. At the beginning of $ 
the summer term, 1832, Vogel was a student at.the Univer- - 
sity of Berlin, where he attended the philosophic and : 
humanity lectures, but more especially those of Natural . 
History. On the 5th of August, 1837, he was made Doctor _ 
of Philosophy : the subject of his inaugural thesis, which has — 
also been published separately, being a Synopsis of the — 
genus Cassia. The year after, he qualified himself as Private 2 
Tutor at the Berlin University in the botanical department, 
and in the first half of 1839, exchanged his situation for - 
a similar one at the University of Bonn, aided by a 3 
government allowance, in consequence of which he was - 
obliged, at the same time, after the death of Professor F. 
Nees von Esenbeck, to perform the duties of his office. d 
During the latter part of his academical course, and after - 
its completion, Vogel turned his attention principally to — 
descriptive botany; for which the collections at Berlin, 4 
especially of Brazilian plants, furnished rich materials. 
His talents were peculiarly applied to Leguminous plants. - 
As early as the year 1837, four treatises by him appeared in — 
the eleventh volume of the Linnea: * De Swartzeis observa- 3 | 
tiones," * Dalbergiearum Genera Brasiliensia,” “De Casal- — 
pineis Brazilie,? and « Synopsis generis Cassie pars altera? — 
