HOW AGASSIZ TAUGHT 



'No,' I replied, 'I am certain I do not, but 

 I see how little I saw before.' 



'That is next best,' said he, earnestly, 'but 

 I won't hear you now; put away your fish and 

 go home; perhaps you will be ready with a 

 better answer in the morning. I will examine 

 you before you look at the fish.' 



This was disconcerting. Not only must I 

 think of my fish all night, studying, without 

 the object before me, what this unknown but 

 most visible feature might be; but also, without 

 reviewing my new discoveries, I must give an 

 exact account of them the next day. I had a 

 bad memory; so I walked home by Charles 

 River in a distracted state, with my two 

 perplexities. 



The cordial greeting from the Professor the 

 next morning was reassuring; here was a man 

 who seemed to be quite as anxious as I that I 

 should see for myself what he saw. 



'Do you perhaps mean,' I asked, 'that the 

 fish has symmetrical sides with paired organs?' 



His thoroughly pleased ' Of course! of course! ' 

 repaid the wakeful hours of the previous night. 

 After he had discoursed most happily and en- 



[45] 



