PROFESSOR SHALER 



When I sat me down before my tin pan, 

 Agassiz brought me a small fish, placing it 

 before me with the rather stern requirement 

 that I should study it, but should on no account 

 talk to any one concerning it, nor read anything 

 relating to fishes, until I had his permission 

 so to do. To my inquiry, 'What shall I do?' 

 he said in effect : * Find out what you can with- 

 out damaging the specimen; when I think that 

 you have done the work I will question you.' 

 In the course of an hour I thought I had 

 compassed that fish; it was rather an unsavory 

 object, giving forth the stench of old alcohol, 

 then loathsome to me, though in time I came to 

 like it. Many of the scales were loosened so 

 that they fell off. It appeared to me to be a 

 case for a summary report, which I was anxious 

 to make and get on to the next stage of the 

 business. But Agassiz, though always within 

 call, concerned himself no further with me that 

 day, nor the next, nor for a week. At first, 

 this neglect was distressing; but I saw that it 

 was a game, for he was, as I discerned rather 

 than saw, covertly watching me. So I set 

 my wits to work upon the thing, and in the 



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