300 RAMBLES OF A NATUPwALIST. 



ginally intended for the bar, and afterwards for the 

 medical profession, he nevertheless felt himself invin- 

 cibly drawn towards zoology, and a happy accident 

 aided him in this pursuit. In one of his entomological 

 excursions he was met by Al. Brongniart, who felt him- 

 self attracted towards the young student, in whom 

 he thought he recognised the same ardour by which he 

 was himself animated. He assisted him by his advice, 

 and Audouin derived so much benefit from their in- 

 tercourse, that he qualified himself to discharge the 

 duties of the chairs held by Lamarck* and Latreille "f, 



* Lamarck, a membar of the Institute (Academy of Sciences) 

 and Professor at the Jardin des Plantes, Avas born at Bargentiu in 

 1744, and died at Paris in 1829. As the ^-ounger son of a noble 

 family, he had been destined for the church, and entered at the 

 Theological College ; but, on the death of his father, he made his 

 escape, and enlisted in the army under the command of Marechal de 

 Broglie. He very soon distinguished himself, and was raised to 

 the rank of lieutenant in consequence of his daring conduct in 

 action, but a serious ilhiess and the annoyances of the service 

 induced him very speedily to renounce the career of arms. He 

 came to Paris with the view of studying medicine, or rather of 

 following his favourite pm-suit of botany. About this time he 

 invented the dichotomic classification, which enables us very 

 readily to ascertain the name of the plant or animal which we may 

 desire to determine. Subsequently to this he published his Flore 

 Frarigaise, drawn up in accordance with his own views, which 

 Buffon caused to be printed at the royal press, and which achieved 

 a great success. He was soon nominated keeper of the collections 

 at the Jardin du Roi, and when the Convention reorganised the 

 Museum, he was appointed to lecture on the Invertebrata. He was 

 then nearly fifty years of age, and the subject was perfectly new to 

 him, yet he devoted himself so assiduously to the task that he 

 even succeeded before long in throwing an entirely new light upon 

 this imperfectly known subdivision of the animal kingdom. Unfor- 

 tunately his incessant labours injured his sight, and he became 



f See next page for note. 



