I40 



Louis Agassiz. 



the Amazons, where I had a fair opportunity of 

 ascertaining how widely different the fishes may be 

 that inhabit adjoining locaHties in the same hydro- 

 graphic basin. To this day I have not yet recovered 

 from my surprise at finding that shores which, from 

 a geographic point of view, must be considered 

 simply as opposite banks of the same stream, were, 

 nevertheless, the abode of an essentially different 

 ichthyological population.'* 



Agassiz not only found time to investigate the 

 zoology of the region, but there was hardly a 

 department in the field of science that w^as not 

 touched upon in some way. He was indefatigable 

 in his labours ; indeed, was the same Agassiz, enthu- 

 siastic, thoughtful, and ambitious, that we have seen 

 in his youthful days. 



The routine along the Amazon was one of con- 

 tinued work. The party rose at five in the morning, 

 breakfasted at six, after which they started upon the 

 various trips that had been arranged by the chief. 

 Agassiz was fond of sport, but denied himself much 

 of this pleasure, being obliged to attend to the 

 specimens which were brought in, as in this hot 

 climate they decomposed so rapidly that immediate 

 attention was required. Agassiz gave the artist 

 general directions, and the latter, despite the intense 

 heat and swarms of mosquitoes, often succeeded in 

 making twenty sketches a day, and at the end of 

 the trip Mr. Burkhardt was able to show about eight 

 hundred paintings. 



It is impossible to follow the steps of Agassiz 

 throughout the entire Amazonian region, and these 



