Agassiz at Harvard, 



99 



the first order, and she was fond of placing it at the 

 disposal of her favourite brother, Alexander. The 

 drawings of natural objects which she executed for 

 him, and later for Agassiz, commanded the admira- 

 tion of all by their taste and exquisite correctness." 



The new home gradually assumed the appearance 

 of a zoological garden on a modified scale. Here the 

 stranger would meet many surprises. The obstruc- 

 tion beneath his feet might be a living turtle ; here 

 might be seen a number of live alligators, there a 

 rabbit, while near at hand an eagle, a bear, and some 

 young opossums awaited investigation. 



As an example of the persistence and thorough- 

 ness of Agassiz, he was one evening the guest of a 

 Boston Microscopical Club when a member made 

 the statement that he had studied a certain form 

 four days, and finding that nothing resulted from 

 this elaborate investigation gave it up as impractica- 

 ble. After some discussion the guest of the evening, 

 Agassiz, was called upon. He astonished them by 

 saying that he also had studied the object in ques- 

 tion, having it under his eye at stated periods night 

 and day for six weeks. It is needless to say that he 

 set the microscopists an example by his persistent 

 labour, and, as Dr. Stebbins has said : The spirit 

 of Agassiz took possession of their souls." 



This period of Agassiz's life was epoch-making. 

 He embarked upon his duties as a professor of 

 zoology with all his accustomed vigour, and made his 

 presence felt at once. He instigated a new departure 

 in American natural history and founded what may 

 be termed the Agassiz school of natural science teach- 



