LOUIS AGASSI/.. [CHAP. xxn. 



Some dredgings in shallow waters (for the lines had 

 been too short to allow any other dredging) were suc- 

 cessfully made along the coast of Peru, and then the 

 steamer headed for the Galapagos Islands. 



Ever since Darwin's exploration of these islands in 

 1835, Agassiz had had a great desire to see the home 

 of the lizard Amblyrhinchus, that remarkable remnant 

 of Secondary or Mesozoic times, and he now had the 

 pleasure of watching its capture in considerable num- 

 bers, as Steindachner and Pourtales hunted it on the 

 rocks and in the shallow waters ; while from the deck 

 he drew their attention to a large specimen lying on 

 the sand, half choked by the pocket handkerchief tied 

 round its neck, and which swiftly turned round, as it 

 revived, ready to plunge into the sea. Specimen after 

 specimen was placed in alcohol ; for Agassiz, as usual 

 with him in the case of rare animals, was never satis- 

 fied. The collections made in the Galapagos were 

 important and very valuable, but Agassiz was too old 

 to obtain the full benefit of such an exploration ; if it 

 had been made in the prime of his scientific life, the 

 result would have been different. Sickness tormented 

 him during his stay. However, he was quite well again 

 when the steamer dropped anchor opposite Taboga, in 

 the bay of Panama. As soon as his arrival was known 

 in town, fishermen and pearl traders came on board, the 

 latter to find with surprise that a naturalist of such repu- 

 tation was not necessarily a great purchaser of pearls. 

 His hands were filled with the most superb specimens 

 collected in the bay, several being very large and perfect ; 

 but, to their astonishment and disgust, Agassiz piv- 



