20 BIOGRAPHIES OF SCIENTIFIC MEN 



basis, which was a great stride upon the work of his 

 predecessors. Lamarck arranged the various groups of 

 animals in linear order from lower to higher a scala 

 nature ; Cuvier opposed this system, and established the 

 idea of diverging branches (embranchements), although, 

 unlike Lamarck, he was no evolutionist. 



While at the Normandy town, with its beautiful 

 cathedral of St Pierre, Cuvier made the acquaintance 

 of the old Abbe* Tessier, then hiding from the fury of 

 Robespierre and other revolutionists. Disguised as a 

 surgeon, the learned old man discovered the worth of 

 young Cuvier, and this introduction was the means of 

 putting the latter into communication with Jussieu, 

 Geoffroy Saint- Hilaire, Daubenton, Lap6cede, and other 

 men of science. 



In 1795 Cuvier was appointed an assistant to the 

 professor of anatomy in the Mus6e d'Histoire Naturelle. 

 The same year saw him established as professor at the 

 Ecole Centrale du Panthe'on and here he composed 

 his Tableau elementaire de VHistoire Naturelle des 

 Animaux the basis of the modern system of classification 

 of the animal kingdom. At this time Mertrud, aided by 

 the brothers Cuvier, commenced the famous and extensive 

 collection of comparative anatomy at the Jardin des 

 Plantes, Paris ; and the next year Cuvier was elected 

 a member of the Acad6mie des Sciences. 



In 1796 he discovered red blood in leeches (Hirudo), 



