The Young Teacher. 



55 



opened, because in the meanwhile, another subject 

 occupied attention, and the objects they contained 

 had lost their interest." 



Among the visitors to Neuchatel was Leopold von 

 Buch, the well-known geologist of Berlin, an admirer 

 of Agassiz. On one occasion he said : When I am 

 at Neuchatel, and I knock at the door of Agassiz, I 

 am always afraid/* Why ? " asked his companion, 



I dread,'' said Von Buch, lest he will take me for 

 a new species." 



This was a witty suggestion of one of the criti- 

 cisms made of Agassiz's methods at the time. It 

 was said that he was too liberal in making species, 

 —a charge that has been brought against every 

 naturalist of note. 



Agassiz did not confine his teaching to the gym- 

 nasium, but gave private lectures to his friends 

 throughout the winter on a variety of topics. 

 Some were at social gatherings ; others during 

 walks abroad under the blue sky with examples all 

 about. Agassiz drew his inspiration from the hills 

 and fields, and his enthusiasm was imparted to his 

 hearers, so that in a very short time he acquired a 

 reputation as a singularly successful teacher. He 

 had the faculty of imparting knowledge to a rare 

 degree. His greatest delight was to teach the 

 children, and his class of little folks, whom he 

 taught for the love of imparting knowledge, was a 

 source of much pleasure. Sometimes he took them 

 over the fields and far away ; teaching them geogra- 

 phy by climbing a hillside to look down upon the 

 lake or study the shape of some mountain ; again 



