1831-32.] RELATIONS WITH CUVIER. 39 



tried afterward- -always in vain- -to secure the same 

 orderliness for himself. But later I shall give the rea- 

 son why Cuvier was able to organize his time and labora- 

 tories, and why Agassiz always failed to do so. 



Agassiz's main object in coming to Paris was to col- 

 lect material for his " Poissons fossiles," and at the 

 same time to become acquainted with Cuvier and some 

 other French naturalists, in the hope that he might find 

 an official position in such a great establishment as the 

 Jardin des Plantes. Cuvier watched him attentively, 

 and was so pleased with what he saw, that he deliber- 

 ately decided to renounce his project of publishing, as 

 he had intended, a work on fossil fishes ; and with great 

 generosity too rare among savants - - he placed at the 

 disposal of young Agassiz all the materials, drawings, 

 and notes which he had collected at the British Museum, 

 at Avignon, and elsewhere, during more than fifteen 

 years. 



It was at one of his weekly Saturday evening recep- 

 tions that Cuvier delivered into Agassiz's hands the 

 drawings and notes, filling a large portfolio, brought 

 from the study by his faithful assistant Laurillard. It 

 filled Agassiz with greater joy than he had ever felt before 

 or than he ever felt again, as he said many years after. 

 Certainly such an acknowledgment from the greatest 

 naturalist then living was a most gratifying and unex- 

 pected reward for all Agassiz's studies and efforts. It 

 was most encouraging and auspicious for his future. 

 All that Agassiz had expected, and even this was with 

 grave doubts, was that, perhaps, Cuvier might be in- 

 duced to allow him to assist in finishing the work with 



