96 EMINENT NATURALISTS. 



ripened in him a long cherished plan of devoting him- 

 self to zoology in the widest sense of the term. He 

 was intimate with Wagler ; and under Oken — in some 

 respects the most remarkable zoologist that Germany 

 has produced — he studied his curious classification of 

 the animal kingdom. With Fuchs he studied mine- 

 ralogy ; and for four successive years he attended all 

 the philosophical lectures of Schelling. 



His fellow-students remember vividly the remark- 

 able appearance of Agassiz at that period ; his 

 active and powerful physique, the intellectual 

 beauty of his face, his brilliant eye, and hearty 

 laugh. Although a laborious and devoted scholar, 

 he found time for athletic sports; and, as leading 

 swordsman of the University, was elected president 

 of the Swiss Club, the " Helvetia." 



At this the beginning of his scientific life, the 

 bent of his mind towards a combination of 

 natural history with metaphysics was already 

 marked. His studies under Schelling and Oken all 

 pointed in this direction, and the interest he took 

 in both conclusively proved that the essential 

 character of his intellect was the same in youth as 

 in age. 



An irresistible passion, an intense longing to tear 

 from nature the secret of life, had now complete 

 possession of Agassiz, and was destined not to lead, 

 but to drive him during the remainder of his exist- 

 ence. The surroundings were, it is true, favourable, 

 but it was because he sought them, and had they 

 not been favourable, he would have sought them 



