PROFESSOR SHALER 



words or manner. He signified that it would 

 do by placing before me about a half a peck of 

 bones, telling me to see what I could make of 

 them, with no further directions to guide me. 

 I soon found that they were the skeletons of half 

 a dozen fishes of different species; the jaws told 

 me so much at a first inspection. The task 

 evidently was to fit the separate bones together 

 in their proper order. Two months or more 

 went to this task with no other help than an 

 occasional looking over my grouping with the 

 stereotyped remark: 'That is not right.' 

 Finally, the task was done, and I was again 

 set upon alcoholic specimens — this time a re- 

 markable lot of specimens representing, per- 

 haps, twenty species of the side-swimmers or 

 Pleuronectidae. 



I shall never forget the sense of power in 

 dealing with things which I felt in beginning 

 the more extended work on a group of animals. 

 I had learned the art of comparing objects, 

 which is the basis of the naturalist's work. At 

 this stage I was allowed to read, and to discuss 

 my work with others about me. I did both 

 eagerly, and acquired a considerable knowledge 



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