Characteristics and Habits. 



15 



naturalists, and gave him his first impetus in the 

 actual field of original investigation. He was the 

 possessor of one of the best libraries in the city and 

 was an ardent ornithologist. Agassiz was given the 

 privilege of his books and collections and at once 

 began to reap the harvest. 



In the present day of cheap books and public 

 libraries, when every village has its collection, it is 

 difficult to realise the conditions that prevailed dur- 

 ing the boyhood of our hero and the struggles which 

 he had to surmount in the attainment of knowledge, 

 and in this we see the strong features of his charac- 

 ter — determination and thoroughness. His parents 

 were by no means rich, and were straining every 

 point in keeping the two boys at school, and had 

 little or no money for any incidentals or luxuries. 

 Books, then, no matter how cheap, were im- 

 possibilities ; yet this did not deter the young 

 naturalist. If he could not own the books he could 

 at least copy them, and this is what he did, his 

 brother aiding him, and hours were spent in this 

 arduous work by both boys, Auguste's devotion to 

 his brother making it a labour of love. In after years, 

 Agassiz, in commenting upon this lack of books, ex- 

 pressed the belief that it was really an advantage as 

 it prevented him from relying too much on them ; 

 their absence forcing him to investigate for himself. 



The work accomplished in this way by this youth 

 of seventeen or eighteen is a monument to his 

 patience, and deserves the especial attention of my 

 younger readers. What young man of to-day would 

 be willing to copy a bulky volume for the sake of 



