26 MEMOIR OF 



has even diffused a charm over his descriptions, 

 '.vhenever the beauties, which have been imparted 

 to them in so high a degi'ee, peimitted their being 

 presented to the admiration of naturalists. " And 

 in fact," says Cuvier, " what can afford a greater 

 sul)ject of admiration, than those brilHant colours — 

 that glare of gold, steel, ruby, and emerald, profusely 

 poured upon beings which man scarcely ever na- 

 turally meets mth, and which are almost never 

 seen in the obscui-e paths they frequent. Even 

 at the present day (in 1826), there is no work on 

 the history of fishes superior to Lacepede's, and he 

 is always quoted on the subject : when the immense 

 materials collected in these latter days shall have been 

 put together in another work, the brilliant pieces of 

 colouring, fall of sensibilty and deep philosophy, 

 with which he has enriched his Work, will not be 

 forgotten. Science, from its nature, is every horn- 

 advancing ; but the great WTiters will not remain 

 the less immortal." 



Tlie Natural History of Fishes was followed, in 

 1804, by that of the Cetacea, which terminates the 

 great system of vertebrate animals. M. de Lace- 

 pede considered it as the most perfect of his Works ; 

 and in fact, he treated the historical and descriptive 

 part, that referring to the organization and metho- 

 dical characters, better than any one had done before 

 him. His style also rises in some manner in propor- 

 tion to the gi'andeur of his subject. He augments, 

 by about a third, the number of the species. " This 

 author," says Mr. Scorseby, " has published the most 



