16 LOUIS AGASSIZ. [CHAP. i. 



of being what the French call a "belle fourchette," or 

 one who wields a good knife and fork. From this time 

 he took for his motto, " First at work, and first at 

 play," and carried it through all his life, with rare 

 interruptions. Such an ambition required a Herculean 

 constitution, which he certainly possessed ; but notwith- 

 standing his strength, this burning of the candle at both 

 ends no doubt finally shortened his life. 



In 1826, after two years at Zurich, Agassiz went to 

 the University of Heidelberg, where he stayed eighteen 

 months. There he made acquaintances which influ- 

 enced him as much as he could be influenced for 

 the rest of his life. His studies took a more decided 

 direction toward natural history, under the leadership of 

 Professors Tiedemann (in comparative anatomy), Leuc- 

 kart (in zoology), Bischoff (in botany), and H. G. 

 Bronn (in geology and palaeontology). While attend- 

 ing the lectures of Tiedemann and Bischoff, Agassiz 

 became acquainted with Alexander Braun and Karl 

 Schimper, two very brilliant botanical students ; and 

 they very soon became congenial and inseparable com- 

 panions, not only during their courses at Heidelberg 

 and afterward at Munich, but even during the first 

 decade after leaving the universities. 



Alexander Braun was the son of the postmaster- 

 general of the Grand Duchy of Baden, who resided at 

 Carlsruhe. As Heidelberg was very near Carlsruhe, 

 Braun took home with him his three friends, - - Agassiz, 

 Schimper, and Imhoff (afterwards a distinguished 

 entomologist of Bale), --to pass their vacations. It 

 was a great time, not only for the four intimate young 



