CHAPTER XI 



Heligoland — Giessen C!ongres8 — Leuckart — Visit to Leo MetchnikofE 

 at Geneva — Socialist gatherings — ^Metchnikoff's discovery appro- 

 priated by Leuckart — Naples — Kovalevsky — Comparative em- 

 bryology — Embryonic layers — Bakounine and Setch6noff — Cholera 

 at Naples — Gottingen — Anatomical studies — Munich; vonSieboldt 

 — ^Music — Return to Naples — Intracellular digestion. 



Elie still had his Licentiate thesis to prepare. In 

 order to do so, he decided to spend two months in 

 the island of Heligoland, of which the flora and fauna 

 were very attractive to naturalists. In spite of his 

 previous failure, his parents made no objection to his 

 departure ; they gave him the little money they could 

 spare and Elie started, in 1864. 



As soon as he arrived in Heligoland he became 

 absorbed in his work. He proceeded with his idea of 

 bringing light upon the genealogy of organisms through 

 the study of isolated forms outside definite groups.^ 



His ardour in his work attracted the attention of 

 several German scientists, one of whom introduced 

 him to the celebrated botanist Cohn, who soon became 

 interested in him. During the walks which they took 

 together, they held scientific conversations full of 

 interest for the youth. Cohn advised him to work 

 under the celebrated zoologist Leuckart. Elie received 

 this counsel with enthusiasm, but there was a great 

 difficulty, which was the lack of money to prolong 



^ He made researches on a very singular annulate worm, the Fabricia. 



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