54 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



once a week at his house, where they listened 

 to scientific papers or discussed scientific mat- 

 ters, over a pipe and a glass of beer. They 

 also met once a week to drink tea at the 

 house of Professor von Martius, where, in 

 like manner, the conversation turned upon 

 scientific subjects, unless something interest- 

 ing in general events gave it a different turn. 

 Still more beloved was Dollinger, whose char- 

 acter they greatly esteemed and admired while 

 they delighted in his instruction. Not only 

 did they go to him daily, but he also came 

 often to see them, bringing botanical speci- 

 mens to Braun, or looking in upon Agassiz's 

 breeding experiments, in which he took the 

 liveliest interest, being always ready with ad- 

 vice or practical aid. The fact that Agassiz 

 and Braun had their room in his house made 

 intercourse with him especially easy. This 

 room became the rendezvous of all the as- 

 piring, active spirits among the young natural- 

 ists at Munich, and was known by the name 

 of " The Little Academy." Schimper, no 

 less than the other two, contributed to the 

 vivid enthusiastic intellectual life which char- 

 acterized their meetings. Not so happy as 

 Agassiz and Braun in his later experience, 

 the promise of his youth was equally brilliant ; 



