Biography of M. Base. 279 



M. Bosc had undertaken this task. Already in tluce years 

 he had described, or caused to be drawn, more than 400 of 

 these varieties ; but he would have required ten years, — and in 

 France it is very seldom that a project which is only useful 

 meets with ten years' continued encouragement from the higher 

 administration. It would be necessary that the chief should be 

 possessed of as much knowledge as his subordinate, or that he 

 had the modesty not to interfere with the direction, — and while 

 he possessed one or other of these rare qualities, it would be 

 required that he should remain ten years in place. The con- 

 currence of these three conditions, however, every one will per- 

 ceive to be impossible. 



It was in the course of the journeys which he made, in order 

 to complete his undertaking, that M. Bosc caught the germ of 

 the disease which shortened his days. He always performed 

 these journeys on foot, as in his youth. Being overtaken by a 

 violent storm in the Department de TAin, the cold and wet to 

 which he remained for a long time exposed, produced a serious 

 interruption of his health, which led him slowly to the grave. 



In his latter years he experienced great disappointments. 

 M. Thouin's place having become vacant in the Jardin des 

 Plantes, M. Bosc became a candidate for it. Notwithstanding 

 the numerous titles which he had to obtain this place, the ma- 

 jority of votes was against him. It was not that the professors 

 did not do full justice to his merits, but that the greater num- 

 ber thought it improper to charge an infirm old man with func- 

 tions which had already been but too long performed bv an old 

 man. Another was, therefore, placed on the list. The higher 

 authority, however, chose M. Bosc, not from any interest felt 

 for him, but from dislike to the candidate who had obtained 

 the majority of votes. This disposition of the authority towards 

 him was presently rendered evident by the suppression of the 

 place, on which he saw that he had only been appointed to it 

 for the purpose of preventing another from getting it. It can-- 

 not be denied that the mortification which M. Bosc experienced, 

 in consequence of this affair, hastened his end by embittering 

 his days. M. Bosc was born at I'aris on the 29th January 

 1759, and died on the 10th July 1828, aged sixty-eight years. 



M. Cuvicr's discourse was frequently interrupted by ap- 



