Cuvier's Biographical Afemoir ofM, de Lamarck. 7 



tries, to which our own do not yet approach, notwithstanding all 

 that has been done for them for the last thirty years. 



Shortly after his return, he commenced more important works 

 than his Flora, although less widely known, and which have pro- 

 cured for him a more eminent rank among botanists, — I mean 

 his Dictionary of Botany^* and his Illustrations of Genera,-f 

 both of which form a part of the Encyclopedie Methodique. 



These generic illustrations are perhaps better calculated than 

 any other work for conveying a speedy and accurate knowledge 

 of this beautiful science. The precision of the descriptions and 

 definitions of Linnaeus is accompanied, as in the institutions of 

 Tournefort, with figures fitted to embody their abstractions, and 

 to present them to the eye as well as to the mind. Nor will the 

 student have the means of becoming acquainted with the fruits 

 and flowers only ; the whole appearance and habits of one or 

 two of the principal species are often represented, the whole con- 

 sisting of two thousand genera on a thousand quarto plates, and 

 accompanied at the same time with abridged characters of an 

 infinity of species. The Dictionary contains a more detailed 

 history of them, with careful descriptions, critical investigations 

 of their synonymy, and many interesting observations on their 

 uses, and the peculiarities of their organization. All is not origi- 

 nal, it is true, in these two works ; but the selection of figures is 

 judicious, the descriptions are derived from the best authors, and 

 a very considerable number of both these are to be found, which 

 refer to species and even genera previously unknown. 



It may excite surprise that M. de Lamarck, who had hitherto 

 occupied himself with botany merely as an amateur, should so 



• Encyclopedie Methodique (Botany). The first vol., 1783, and the second, 

 1786, are by M. de Lamarck ; the third, 1789, is by him and M. Desrousseaux, 

 who likewise assisted with the fourth, 1795) along with MM. Poiret and Sa- 

 vigny ; the fifth, 1804, is by MM. Poiret and De Candolle ; the sixth, seventh, 

 and eighth, from 1804 to 1808, are by M. Poiret, as well as the five supple- 

 mentary vols, from IRlOto 181 7. 



f Illustrations of Genera, or an exposition of the characters of all the ge- 

 nera of plants established by botanists, arranged according to the sexual sys- 

 tem of Linnaeus, with figures displaying the characters of these genera, and a 

 table of all the known species referable thereto, the description of which is 

 found in the Botanical Dictionary of the Encyclopedie. The first vol., 1791, 

 second, 1793, third, 1800, containing 900 plates, are by M. de I-Amarck, and a 

 Supplement by Poiret, in 1823, contains the last hundred plates. 



