4 Martius on the Life and Labours of BeCandolle. 



time very small. M. P. Vaucher, professor of theology, who soon 

 after proved himself an accurate observer by his account of the 

 Confervse of fresh water, was giving in that year a free course on 

 botany. DeCandolle had only heard the first half of the course, 

 when he returned to his parents at Champagne, determined to 

 devote himself exclusively to this science. The attractive descrip- 

 tions of Vaucher had revealed to him his own genius ; and he 

 chose at the age of eighteen the vocation to which he remained 

 faithful during his whole life, with an enthusiasm which did not 

 desert the man of sixty-three even on his death-bed. In these 

 lectures he had become acquainted with the organs of plants. 

 Returning to the country, he began at once to describe the plants 

 which he found, indicating them by their common, not their 

 scientific names, of which he was at that time ignorant. He 

 considered himself fortunate a few months afterwards, when he 

 received the first edition of Lamarck^s ' Flore Frangaise' and a 

 few other botanical books, whose true value he immediately un- 

 derstood. 



It was the custom at that time, in his native city, for the sons 

 of rich parents to study law. DeCandolle consequently began this 

 study in the year 1796, but with the fixed intention of not allow- 

 ing it to afiect his future destination. One of his friends, who 

 was closely connected with Dolomieu, induced him to pass the 

 winters of 1796 and 1797 in Paris, under the eye of that cele- 

 brated observer of nature. He received his father^s permission 

 for this and lived in the house of Dolomieu, by whom he was 

 treated with paternal tenderness. He now attended the lectures 

 of Vauquelin, Fourcroy, Charles, Portal and Cuvier. In the 

 Jardin des Plantes he had made the acquaintance of Lamarck, 

 Deleuze and Desfontaines. To the latter his heart was peculiarly 

 drawn. The gentle repose of this learned and amiable man en- 

 chained him as to a second father*, and he preserved to his latest 

 breath the most tender and grateful afiection as well for him as 

 for Vaucher. These winter sessions had opened to him a view 

 into the depth and extent of natural science. He perceived the 

 importance of the relations between physics, chemistry and bo- 

 tany ; he perceived that the latter science had reached a station 

 where she required especially for her completion the aid of the 

 others. He determined to labour in this field, and to help to bring 

 botany out of her isolated position. This was besides the peculiar 

 task of the period. The labours of our great M. von Humboldt, 

 of Priestley, of Ingenhauss, &c. had extended the domain of bo- 

 tany in a similar direction. Accordingly he came out first with 



* DeCandolle honoured the memory of his friend, who died on the 16th 

 of November 1833, by a "Notice Historique siir la Vie et les Travaux de 

 M. Desfontaines," in the * Bibliotheque Univers.' Feb. 1834. 



