SCIENTIFIC LABORS OF EDWAKO LARTI-:T. 183 



Procy, (OJse.) There was nothing' peculiar in the character of thi.s 

 fossil ; its classification was easily determined; but its presence in the 

 (luaternary ])eriod was a f;u5t wortliy the consideration of i)aleontolo- 

 j^ists. M. Lartet irientious as aualoj^ous cases the reindeer found at the 

 foot of the Pyrenees; the sperm whale of the bone-pits of Montmo- 

 rency, and that of the caves of Perigord, which resemble the American 

 species; the bear of Canada, which is identical with the 'sup])Osed 

 agouti of the caves of Liege; the ant(;loi)e found at Perigord; the 

 desman, of Muscovy, in Xorfolk, described by Owen under the name 

 PalwoKpalax maynus, &c. Were these consecutive changes of habita- 

 tion du<; to elective migration; to a forced retreat on account of the 

 invasion of man, or to a gradual reduction of the species destined to 

 become extinct? 



This sketch of the works of M. Lartet, however incomplete, may give 

 some idea of tlie cliaracter of his mind. lie was to the last degree 

 caieful and accurate in the examination and classification of fossil 

 specimens; but their cliaracter once esta1)lish<'d on a firm foundation, 

 his ingenuity, his patience, his originality, and i)Ower of close observa- 

 tion frequently from facts api)arently the most sterile, developed very 

 unexpected and interesting results. The definition of genius, as 

 applied to a well-known naturalist, " genius is patience," was fully 

 exemplified in him, and he was never more patient than dining his 

 excavations in the caves, while in his api)lication of paleontology to 

 the classification of the fossil specimens found there, he truly acted as 

 a pioneer in this brant^h of science. 



In the latter years of his life M. Lartet, whose modesty equaled his 

 wisdom, received many marks of honorable distinction. He was elected 

 to preside over the Geological Society in 1800 ; shoitly after the Anthro- 

 pological Society gave him the same testimony of esteem. He was made 

 President of the International Archaeological and Prehistoric Anthropo- 

 logical Congress, whicli was inaugurated at Paris in 1807, and which 

 claimed the honor of having originated theories in regard to fossil man. 

 He was ap[)ointed a member of the commission for the History of the 

 Tranmctiowi of the Exposition of 1807, and took an active part in the 

 organization of the very interesting anthropological galleries. He ren- 

 dered important assistance in the formation of the museum of Saint Ger- 

 main, and was made an oflicer of the legion of honor at time of its in- 

 auguration. In 1809 he was elected by the professors of the museum 

 to the chair of paleontology, made vacant by the death of M. d'Archiac, 

 whose loss was deeply deplored and whose memory will always be vene- 

 rated by the Geological Society. 



M. Lartet was sixty-eight years of age when he entered iipon his pro- 

 fessorship ; he had never undertaken a course of public instruction, and 

 felt the importance of the task imposed upon him. He prepared a cer- 

 tain number of lectures, but unhappily, to his great regret, his liealth, 

 already impaired, pre\'ented a full exposition of his views in regard to 



