72 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



relations of Braun's, with whom we promised 

 to spend several days on our return. Learn- 

 ing on our arrival at Nuremberg that the 

 Dlirer festival, which had been our chief in- 

 ducement for this journey, would not take 

 place under eight or ten days, we decided to 

 pass the intervening time at Erlangen, the 

 seat, as you know, of a university. I do not 

 know if I have already told you that among 

 German students the exercise of hospitality 

 toward those who exchange visits from one 

 university to another is a sacred custom. It 

 gives offense, or is at least looked upon as 

 a mark of pride and disdain, if you do not 

 avail yourself of this. We therefore went to 

 one of the cafes de reunion, and received at 

 once our tickets for lodgings. We passed six 

 days at Erlangen most agreeably, making a bo- 

 tanical excursion every day. We also called 

 upon the professors of botany and zoology, 

 whom we had already seen at Munich, and by 

 whom we were most cordially received. The 

 professor of botany, M. Koch, invited us to 

 a very excellent dinner, and gave us many rare 

 plants not in our possession before, while M. 

 Wagner was kind enough to show us in detail 

 the Museum and the Library. 

 At last came the day appointed for the 



