1858-64.] SECESSION OF SOME ASSISTANTS. 101 



above everything and every one. It was, perhaps, a 

 little too much to expect that young men, who had 

 come there to learn and fit themselves for positions as 

 teachers and professors of natural history, should give 

 the best of their time every day to Museum work, 

 especially in view of the fact that the majority of 

 them were not paid at all. All had come with expec- 

 tations of situations and reputation in the near future ; 

 and besides this, almost all possessed that independence 

 of character peculiar to Americans, and more particu- 

 larly to New Englanders. Agassiz was at first too 

 lenient, and afterward became too exacting, while the 

 liberty and equality existing there were not conducive 

 to good discipline. In fact, all the regularly appointed 

 assistants or student-assistants were working for them- 

 selves as much as they could. The curator had too 

 much in hand to see that every one was doing his duty. 

 Besides, no definite duties were assigned to most of the 

 assistants ; and if one was given the superintendence of 

 a department, he had no one to help him, even in moving 

 and carrying specimens, writing labels, or cataloguing 

 and numbering the collections. 



On the other hand, the assistants and pupils should 

 have considered that it was a great privilege, and at 

 that time an opportunity unique in all North Amer- 

 ica, to help in building up a great museum under the 

 leadership of a naturalist of' genius, and that they 

 were there, not only for their own instruction, but also 

 for the good of future generations. Egotism played too 

 large a part with them, and caused Agassiz great dis- 

 appointment. He had become very irritable through 



