CHAPTER III. 



1828-1829: ^ET. 21-22. 



First Important Work in Natural History. Spix's Brazilian 

 Fishes. Second Vacation Trip. Sketch of Work during 

 University Year. Extracts from the Journal of Mr. 

 Dinkel. Home Letters. Hope of joining Humboldt's 

 Asiatic Expedition. Diploma of Philosophy. Comple- 

 tion of First Part of the Spix Fishes. Letter concerning 

 it from Cuvier. 



IT was not without a definite purpose that 

 Agassiz had written to his father some weeks 

 before, " Should I during the course of my 

 studies succeed in making myself known by a 

 distinguished work, would you not then con- 

 sent that I should study for one year the 

 natural sciences alone ? ' Unknown to his 

 parents, for whom he hoped to prepare a de- 

 lightful surprise, Agassiz had actually been 

 engaged for months on the first work which 

 gave him distinction in the scientific world ; 

 namely, a description of the Brazilian fishes 

 brought home by Martius and Spix from their 

 celebrated journey in Brazil. This was the 

 secret to which allusion is made in the next 



