ins of the bones of mammiferous animals; he
particularly examined the numerous fossils in the environs of Paris,
assisted in the geological part of his task by his friend M. A.
Brogniart. The sagacity and accuracy which M. Cuvier displayed in the
examination of fossil bones, raised this branch of inquiry to the
dignity of a perfectly new science, which has thrown a powerful light
on geology, and directed it into a more philosophical route. A
number of works and of elaborate memoirs published since by various
naturalists, have shown the prodigious influence which the labours of
Cuvier have exercised on the study of geology, of the animal kingdom,
and even of fossil botany. M. Cuvier amused himself during these
laborious works by particular researches which would alone have been
sufficient to have distinguished any other man, such as his five
Memoirs on the Voice of Birds, on Crocodiles, and on numerous subjects
of zoology; such also as his descriptions of the living animals in
the menagerie, &c. In all his works, even to the minutest details,
we discover the same luminous, clear, and methodical mind, and the
sagacity which characterized him. Feeling the want of a work
which should present a general view of his ideas on zoological
classification, he published in 1817 his work entitled _Le Regne
Animal distribue d'apres son Organisation_, in 4 vols, 8vo. which
speedily became the text-book of all zoological students. When
employed on this work he felt how far in arrear of the other branches
of zoology was that which respects the class of fish, and saw how much
difficulty had accumulated in it, as well from our ignorance of the
anatomy of these animals, and the impossibility of determining with
precision the laws of their comparative organization, as from the want
of large collections, and perhaps also from the too artificial spirit
which had hitherto prevailed in ichthyology. He employed his influence
to form a collection in the Paris Museum of specimens of fish from all
parts of the world, and was so successful in his endeavours that the
number of specimens which at first scarcely amounted to 1,000, in a
few years amounted to 6,000. Of these he dissected a large portion
with a care hitherto unknown, having the advantage of an able
associate in the study of the details in M. Valenciennes; he was thus
enabled in a period of time that may be called short, looking to the
extent of the results, to collect the materials of his g