2 Sarrorp: NOTES OF A NATURALIST AFLOAT—II 
interesting work, including the completion of colored 
drawings of the Portuguese man-of-war and other related 
forms of surface life; but the stiff northern winds, which 
we had encountered on our way from Aspinwall, had 
driven the great stream to the southward of its usual 
course, and they were not so successful in their investi- 
gations as they had hoped. 
When Mr. Agassiz found that I was interested in 
natural history, he earnestly advised me to forsake botany 
and all other branches that could be studied as easily by 
investigators living on shore, and to devote myself specially 
_ to the study of the surface life of the ocean; since so great _ 
a part of my life was to be spent upon it,and I would con- _ 
sequently have unusual opportunities for such work. I _ 
was much impressed by his enthusiasm, and I resolved 
3 to do as he advised. Before we left he sent me a list of — 
oe books which he suggested that I buy as a nucleus of a— 
Workin library, mostly works on the anatomy of marine 
: invertebrates: and he added some practical directions for 
= collecting: surface material by means of a townet from 
the decks of a ship = for the preservation of living 
ce animals for study. S 
oS this time is did not realize the difficulties which the = 
