Louis Valentine Pirsson. 175 



birds were my chief interest. Only circnmstances pre- 

 vented me from becoming a zoologist.' ' 



Lonis remained in Mr. Blain's family nntil the autnmn 

 of 1876 when he was nearly 16 years old. At that time 

 his guardian placed him in Amenia Academy, Dutchess 

 county, New York. Two years later this school was 

 transferred to New Marlboro, Berkshire county, Massa- 

 chusetts. This school was clearly not of high grade, but 

 when it was decided that Louis was to go to college it 

 was the influence of the principal, a Yale man, that sent 

 him to New Haven and the boy's own desires that made 

 him enter the Sheffield Scientific School, which he did, 

 under the handicap of several conditions, in 1879. 



Reviewing these early years it is clear that the boy 

 who was denied the surroundings and affectionate care 

 of a home was, after all, fortunate in some important re- 

 spects. Under Mr. Blain he had learned to do appointed 

 tasks with regularity and thoroughness and gained a 

 sense of responsibility for the discharge of a duty. This 

 he gratefully acknowledged in after years. The life in 

 the country or in small villages was that suited to the 

 physical development of a child who was not strong and 

 gave opportunity for the independent development of an 

 inborn tendency toward natural science. 



From 1872 until near the middle of his college course 

 Louis spent much of his summer vacations at the sea- 

 shore with his guardian, who was at that time enjoying 

 a large income and was very fond of yachting, fishing, and 

 other costly sports. The boy had ample opportunity to 

 become fully acquainted with the luxurious pastimes and 

 other diversions of social circles of much wealth. While 

 he enjoyed much of this life to the full, his notes of these 

 years show that he always turned with still greater satis- 

 faction to visits with friends of school days, especially at 

 New Marlboro, where he renewed his rambles as a 

 naturalist and fisherman. 



Of Pirsson's college years there is, in his own phrase, 

 "but little to say." He quickly overcame his entrance 

 handicap and graduated with honors, in 1882. In the 

 midst of his college course his guardian suffered severe 

 financial reverses, involving, to some extent, the slender 

 capital of his ward. Partly from this condition and 

 partly from interest Pirsson gave special attention to 

 chemistry, particularly to analytical work, as likely to 

 lead to a future financial return. 



The period of seven years following Pirsson's gradu- 



