130 Transactions of the Society. 



entered the Institut Brenot at Dijon, where he was soon after- 

 wards appointed Professor of Chemistry and Physics. For some 

 time he was known to the scientific world as a chemist, and his 

 publications for the first few years of his career were all on 

 chemical subjects. An important Thesis on Electrolysis obtained 

 for him in 1867 the degree of Doctor of Physical Science at Paris, 

 and a post at the Normal School of Cluny. 



But in the mean time Eenault had begun the work to which his 

 mature life was to be devoted. The neighbourhood of his native 

 place, Autun, was formerly extraordinarily rich in silicified remains 

 of plants, which in certain fields lay on or near the surface of the 

 ground, so as to be turned up by the plough in such quantities as 

 to be compared to the debris of a forest. Seventy years ago these 

 precious fragments were even used for mending roads. It seems 

 that when Renault began to interest himself in these specimens 

 they had already become comparatively scarce, but enough re- 

 mained to repay industrious search, and besides, there were impor- 

 tant collections previously made, notably those of M. Faivre and 

 the Abbe Landriot. It appears to have been the former, an ardent 

 local collector, who introduced Renault to the laborious work of 

 preparing the fossil specimens for examination. Throughout his 

 life Renault was in the habit of making his own preparations — an 

 extraordinarily slow and difficult task, especially when the petrify- 

 ing material is hard silica, as is the case with these French 

 specimens. Unfortunately, he had little or no assistance, and his 

 work, in spite of his incomparable industry, was restricted by this 

 mechanical difficulty. 



Renault made a practice of communicating his discoveries and 

 preparations to Adolphe Brongniart, the great founder of scientific 

 Paleobotany, who at that time was Chief Inspector of Mines at Paris. 

 It was sometimes part of the great savant's official duty to inspect 

 the Normal School at Cluny, where Renault was then in charge of 

 the chemical teaching, and was thus only able to give his leisure 

 moments to Fossil Botany. Brongniart is said to have found some 

 consolation in these meetings with his enthusiastic disciple for 

 the dulness of an official visitation. 



The late M. Roche, the friend and collaborator of Renault, who 

 unhappily has not long survived his distinguished colleague, and to 

 whose biography of his friend I am deeply indebted, gives a vivid 

 account of fossil-collecting in the stony fields of the Autun country. 

 During the holidays, Renault was to be found almost every day 

 " beating the fields for specimens, an exercise in which he found 

 rest from his indoor work. With his geologist's satchel on his 

 back, and his big hammer in his belt, he knew how to lead us in 

 his train ; he always returned with loads beyond our strength. 

 Next day we witnessed his delight, when, after a thorough washing 

 of the blocks, he found some parts preserved. The bad pieces, 



