64 THE MAIN CURRENTS OF ZOOLOGY 



Jardin du Roi, and here he developed the Natural 

 History Museum and gained recognition. Paris was 

 thereafter his home and the scene of his triumphs. 



His was an attractive personality and as he threw 

 himself into his work with enthusiasm and well- 

 directed industry, he gained power, and soon forged 

 ahead of his companions in research. He was a 

 favorite of the Emperor Napoleon and by him was 

 made head of the educational system of France. He 

 became a legislator and, finally, a Peer of France, 

 but with all his public duties he remained faithful to 

 his love of zoological science and continued to work 

 in that field. 



After his extensive treatise on comparative anat- 

 omy (1805) he published, in 1815, his well-known 

 book on the Animal Kingdom (Le Regne Animal). 

 In this he divided the animal kingdom into branches 

 (embranchements) on the basis of their structure, 

 recognizing as stated in the previous chapter, four 

 great types of structure, the radiate, articulate, 

 molluscan and vertebrate. Although this classifica- 

 tion has been superseded by a better one, the basis of 

 structure employed by Cuvier was important and was 

 used in further advances. 



Comprehensiveness of view was a distinguishing 



