20 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



became more and more interested in little Ilia. It 

 was in the course of country walks that they were 

 drawn together. Hodounof used to take Leo for 

 walks in order to study the local flora, and Ilia came 

 out with them, at first for the sake of the exercise. 

 But soon he became interested in the flowers and 

 showed so much taste for botany that he attracted 

 Hodounof 's notice ; soon the tutor's interest became 

 concentrated on the little boy and he gave him serious 

 attention. 



It was with a real enthusiasm that Ilia gathered 

 and studied plants ; he soon became thoroughly 

 acquainted with the local flora. He thought himself 

 very learned already and wrote memoirs on botany. 

 Passionately fond of teaching, he used to offer all his 

 pocket-money to his brothers and other children to 

 induce them to hear lectures which he gave them. 

 His vocation was fixed from that moment. He was 

 then eight years old. 



When the family returned to Kharkoff he spent 

 all he had in buying books on natural history, which 

 he read with passionate interest. These contained 

 many things that he could not understand, but his 

 curiosity was all the greater. When he was eleven 

 years old his passion for natural history almost cost 

 him his life. While fishing for hydra in a small pond 

 he was so eager that he fell into the water and was 

 only pulled out with great difficulty. 



That particular day, his own and his father's name 

 day, was nearly fatal to him, not only through water 

 but through fire. It was a family custom to hold a 

 great gathering of friends and relations at Panassovka 

 on St. Elias's day. Preparations for the feast began 

 days beforehand ; the whole household was in a turmoil. 



