LOUIS JOHN RUDOLPH AGASSIZ. 95 



of important service to him in his later biological 

 investigations. His play-hours he devoted to fishing 

 and the collecting of insects. Thus early did his 

 leaning towards ichthyological researches manifest 

 itself, and his knowledge of the habits of fish often 

 astonished even experienced fishermen. 



His father was transferred from Mottier to the little 

 town of Orbe at the foot of the Jura. Here, during 

 the vacations, young Agassiz became intimate with a 

 young clergyman named Fivaz, who first introduced 

 him to the study of natural history, and especially 

 botany. 



He remained at Biel for some few years, and after- 

 wards entered the Academy of Lausanne, on the shores 

 of Lake Greneva, and, in 1824, betook himself to Zurich 

 to study medicine ; for he was obliged to look forward 

 to a time when his knowledge would be his only means 

 of livelihood. 



After remaining two years at Zurich he went to 

 Heidelberg, where he continued his medical studies at 

 the University, devoting himself chiefly to anatomy 

 and physiology under the noted Tiedmann, and botany 

 and zoology under Bischoff and Leuckhart. In the 

 autumn of 1827 he entered the University of Munich, 

 which had recently been reorganized. Among the 

 eminent men assembled there, Agassiz formed intimate 

 friendships. 



He studied the organization of plants and their 

 geographical distribution with Martius. Dollinger, the 

 great master in physiology and embryology, soon 

 recognized the high talent of the young Swiss, and 



