INTRODUCTION 7 
As he progressed in these studies, Cuvier was able with con- 
siderable success to restore extinct animals from their fossilised 
remains, to discover their habits and manner of life, and to point 
out their nearest living ally. To him we owe the first complete 
demonstration of the possibility of restoring an extinct animal. 
His “Law of Correlation” however, has been found to be not 
infallible; as Professor Huxley has shown, it has exceptions. 
It expresses our experience among living animals, but, when 
applied to the more ancient types of life, is liable to be mis- 
leading. 
To take one out of many examples of this law: Carnivorous 
animals, such as cats, lions, and tigers, have claws in their feet, 
very different from the hoofs of an ox, which is herbivorous: 
while the teeth of the former group are very different from those 
of the latter. Thus the teeth and limbs have a certain definite 
relation to each other, or, in other words, are correlated. Again, 
horned quadrupeds are all herbivorous (or graminivorous), and 
have hoofs to their feet. The following amusing anecdote serves 
to illustrate Cuvier’s law. One of his students thought he would 
try and frighten his master, and, having dressed up as a wild 
beast, entered Cuvier’s bedroom by night, and, presenting himself 
by his bedside, said in hollow tones, “Cuvier, Cuvier, I’ve come 
to eat you!” The great naturalist, who on waking up was able 
to discern something with horns and hoofs, simply remarked, 
“What! horns, hoofs—graminivorous—you can’t!” What better 
lesson could the master have given the pupil to help him to 
remember his “ Law of Correlation ” ? 
Cuvier’s great work, entitled Ossemens Fossiles, will long remain 
an imperishable monument of the genius and industry of the 
greatest pioneer in this region of investigation. This work 
proved beyond a doubt to his astonished contemporaries the great 
