28 



Louis Agassiz. 



homes of Oken and Von Martius. As might be ex- 

 pected, Agassiz's room was the headquarters for all 

 these congenial souls, and gradually their meetings 

 took a definite form, and the young man began in 

 turn to assume the role of lecturer to the others, 

 thus obtaining practice which became of value in 

 after years. 



This association of kindred spirits in Agassiz's 

 room became known as ^^The Little Academy,'' and 

 from it graduated some of the most distinguished 

 scientists of the day. These meetings were red-let- 

 ter days in these young lives. The room in which 



The Little Academy " held its sessions would con- 

 tain about twenty. Here we may imagine young 

 Agassiz reading a paper upon the fresh-water fishes 

 of his native lakes, or dwelling upon the wonderful 

 transformation of the tadpole into the adult form, 

 while Braun, Schimper, Michahelles, Mahir, and 

 other friends listened with rapt attention. In the 

 background, with appreciative ear, perhaps sat Dol- 

 linger, Oken, or Von Martius, who gravely smoked 

 their pipes while words of wisdom fell from the lips 

 of the young naturalist. No picture in the youth of 

 Agassiz has a more dramatic interest than this, when 

 the very Solons of science sought the friendship of 

 the young man and listened with pleasure to his 

 utterances. 



The university days were well apportioned. 

 Agassiz was up literally with the birds he loved so 

 well, and after a sunrise breakfast was away to the 

 hospital for work in surgery, the lesson lasting from 

 eight to nine. From then until eleven o'clock he 



