METHODS OF INSTRUCTION. 567 



object before them, influenced all their sub- 

 sequent habits of observation, whatever field 

 they might choose for their special subject of 

 study. One of them who was intending to be 

 an entomologist concludes a very clever and 

 entertaining account of such a first lesson, 

 entirely devoted to a single fish, with these 

 words : " This was the best entomological les- 

 son I ever had, — a lesson whose influence has 

 extended to the details of every subsequent 

 study ; a legacy the professor has left to me, 

 as he left it to many others, of inestimable 

 value, which we could not buy, with which we 

 could not part." ^ 



But if Agassiz, in order to develop inde- 

 pendence and accuracy of observation, threw 

 his students on their own resources at first, 

 there was never a more generous teacher in 

 the end than he. All his inteUectual capital 

 was thrown open to his pupils. His original 

 material, his unpublished investigations, his 

 most precious specimens, his drawings and il- 

 lustrations were at their command. This lib- 

 erahty led in itself to a serviceable training, 

 for he taught them to use with respect the 

 valuable, often unique, objects intrusted to 

 their care. Out of the intellectual good-fel- 



^ In the Laboratory with Agassiz^ by S. H. Scudder. 



