BARON CUVIER. 307 



worthy of mention, were working in a similar direc- 

 tion. Humboldt also furnished valuable facts and 

 suggestions, and the brilliant talents of Buffon turned 

 the popular mind to the cultivation of a taste for 

 natural history. 



While zoological studies were thus pursued in the 

 great capitals of Europe, and by men of the highest 

 order of intellect, he that was to be the greatest of natu- 

 ralists was ushered into existence. George Cuvier was 

 born in 1769, at Montbeliard, a town belonging then 

 to Switzerland, but afterward to France. His parents 

 were French protestants, who had been driven from 

 their native land through religious persecution. The 

 father of Cuvier was an officer in the French service ; 

 and his mother, an accomplished woman, became the 

 instructress of her son. At the age of eight the lad 

 came into possession of Gesrier's History o'f Quadru- 

 peds, and a beautifully illustrated copy of Buffon. 

 These books kindled a desire in the youth to become 

 a naturalist, and he pursued the object of his ambition 

 at every leisure moment. His first efforts in the pur- 

 suit of art and science were in copying the pictures he 

 had studied ; and so faithful were the delineations that 

 he attracted the attention of critics. He also made 

 unparalleled progress in Greek, Latin, and mathe- 

 matics, yet found time each day to make a new pict- 

 ure. The Duke of Wurtemburg heard of his wonder- 

 ful talents, and sent him to Stuttgard to be educated 

 free of expense. 



Although at a military school, the young scientist 

 pushed his studies in natural history with zeal, and at 

 the end of two years the Duke conferred upon him 

 the distinguished honor of chevalierie. 



At the close of his academical career the young 



