CHAPTER m. 



1828-1829: ^t. 21-22. 



First Important Work in Natural History. — Spix's Brazilian 

 Fishes. — Second Vacation Trip. — Sketch of Work during 

 University Year. — Extracts from the Journal of Mr. 

 Dinkel. — Home Letters. — Hope of joining Humboldt's 

 Asiatic Expedition. — Diploma of Philosophy. — Comple- 

 tion of First Part of the Spix Fishes. — Letter concerning 

 it from Cuvier. 



It was not without a definite purpose that 

 Agassiz had written to his father some weeks 

 before, " Should I during the course of my 

 studies succeed in making myself known by a 

 distinguished work, would you not then con- 

 sent that I should study for one year the 

 natural sciences alone?" Unknown to his 

 parents, for whom he hoped to prepare a de- 

 lightful surprise, Agassiz had actually been 

 engaged for months on the first work which 

 gave him distinction in the scientific world ; 

 namely, a description of the Brazilian fishes 

 brought home by Martins and Spix from their 

 celebrated journey in Brazil. This was the 

 secret to which allusion is made in the next 



