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Biographical Notice of' Count Lacepede, and account of his 

 Work on the Natural History of Fishes. 



i^ouNT Lacepede, in early life, by his experiments and views 

 in philosophy, attracted the notice of Buffon, who ever after re- 

 mained much attached to him. His skill and knowledge of 

 music was so great that he became the friend of the celebrated 

 composer Gliick. He wrote the music of the opera of Omphali, 

 and afterwards an interesting work in two volumes octavo on 

 Music and Poetry, which procured him marks of respect from 

 Frederick II. of Prussia, and, what he Tprized more, the ap- 

 probation and esteem of Sacchini. His works on electricity, and 

 general and particular physics which followed, were not success- 

 ful. Buffon proposed to him to write a continuation of his Na- 

 tural History of Animals, to which he agreed. Some months 

 before Buffon's death, which took place in 1 788, the first volume 

 of. his history of Reptiles, comprising oviparous quadrupeds, 

 made its appearance ; and, in the following year, the second vo- 

 lume, containing the natural history of Serpents, was published. 

 These works are distinguished for the elegance of their style^ 

 and the numerous interesting facts which they contain. About 

 this time, the political agitation of France commenced, and La- 

 cepede was for several years enveloped in the frightful vortex 

 of the Revolution at Paris, from which he escaped with his life 

 by a fortunate chance, and retired to the country. 



Of all the occupations, says Baron Cuvier, in which M. de 

 Lacepede had been induced to engage, the sciences alone, as 

 is usual with them, remained faithful to him in the time of mis- 

 fortune, and it was with them that he consoled himself in his 

 retreat. Resuming the habits of his youth, passing the day in 

 the midst of the woods or on the banks of the rivers, he traced 

 the plan of his Natural History of Fishes, the most important of 

 his works. Immediately after his return he commenced its com- 

 position, and at the end of two years, in 1798, he found himself 

 in a condition to publish the first volume. Five volumes ap- 

 peared in succession, the last in 1803. 



This numerous class of animals, perhaps the most useful to 

 man after the domestic quadrupeds, is the least known of all ; it 

 is also- the least calculated to afford interesting developement. 



