Agassiz and His Works. 203 



Authorship came to Agassiz by no slow evolution. 

 He sprang at once into the arena of letters, and was 

 at the early age of twenty-one given by Martins the 

 work of describing the Spix collection of fishes. The 

 work, when complete, was given the following title : 

 Selecta genera et species piscium quos collegit et pin- 

 gendos curavit Dr. J. B. de Spix. Digressit, de- 

 scripsit, et observationibus illustravit Dr. L. Agassiz. 



It was a high compliment to the young naturalist 

 that he should be selected to complete this work, 

 and it is remarkable that one of his age could write 

 so elaborate a volume, and in the Latin language ; 

 it gave him a reputation that was something more 

 than mere fame. 



The story of his life and aspirations at this time 

 is touching and interesting. His dream was to sur- 

 prise his parents by the announcement of their son's 

 authorship, and we have already seen how the secret 

 was made public. All his young energies were 

 poured into this work, his entire future seeming to 

 depend upon this one effort, and when we remember 

 that this youth of twenty-one was not only doing 

 the work that was usually given to the oldest natu- 

 rahsts, but writing in the Latin language, we can 

 realise what he had undertaken. His letters to his 

 brother at this time teem with the pleasant anticipa- 

 tions of the results of his labours and the delight 

 which he believed it would give his parents. In one 

 letter, published in the work of Mrs. Agassiz on her 

 husband, he refers to the fact that it will seem a 

 singular thing that the largest book in their father's 

 library will be the folio bearing his own name, and 



