274 Biography of M. Bosc. 



and agricultural improvements those from which so important 

 results might be expected. 



8. That the improvement of pastures, which is the necessary 

 condition of this increase, requires a complete investigation of 

 the geographical distribution of pasture plants, and careful in- 

 quiries for discovering by what secret operations nature peoples 

 the meadows with useful or noxious plants, and by what means 

 the multiplication of the former may be favoured, and the inva- 

 sion of the latter opposed. 



With this twofold object, the author announced that he had 

 made inquiries by means of experiment and observation respect- 

 ing the following questions : — 



1. What are the local causes of the diversity of pasture 

 plants, in the different natural meadows of the same country .? 



2. What are the original causes of this complicated pheno- 

 menon .? 



3. What are the means by which the indigenous flora of pas- 

 tures may be improved ? 



Biography of M. Bosc* By Baron Cuvier. 



]\|.. Bosc was of a family belonging to the Cevennes, which, 

 although formerly flourishing, had suffered greatly in conse- 

 quence of religious wars, and its firm attachment to Protestant- 

 ism. He was at first intended for the mihtary service, and the 

 powerful interest which his family still possessed seemed to hold 

 forth the promise of brilliant success in that career. But his 

 genius impelled him in another direction. 



He had scarcely begun to walk, when the observation of na- 

 tural objects became his only passion. He collected stones and 

 caught insects, before he knew to write ; and he himself has said 

 that he did not remember ever to have had other amusements. 

 This natural inclination was farther strengthened by domestic 

 occurrences. M. Bosc d'Antic, his father, married again, but 

 his second wife she\\ed little kindness toward the offspring of a 



• The above is a sketch of a beautiful memoir of the celebrated Bosc, read 

 to the French Academy in June 1829, but not yet published. 



