54 PERIOD III. 



master of clear thought and clear expression. But, like 

 Linnaeus, Cuvier overlooked much that was already 

 obscurely felt and clumsily worded by brooding^ philo- 

 sophers, germs of thought which were destined to 

 become all-powerful in the course of a generation or 

 two. It must not be supposed that the labours of 

 Linnaeus and Cuvier were bestowed in vain. All that 

 was really valuable in their writings has been saved, 

 and biology will never forget how much it owes to their 

 life-long exertions. 



Reaumur and the History of Insects. 



Reaumur was born to wealth, and made timely use 

 of his leisure to study the sciences and win for himself 

 a place among natural philosophers. His inclinations 

 directed him first towards mathematics, physics, and, a 

 little later, towards the practical arts. He took a 

 leading part in a magnificent description of French 

 industries, which had been undertaken by the Academie 

 des Sciences. Not content with describing the pro- 

 cesses in use, he perpetually laboured to improve them. 

 The manufacture of steel, tin-plate, and porcelain, the 

 hanging of carriages and the fitting of axles, the im- 

 provement of the thermometer, glass hives, and the 

 hatching of fowls' eggs by artificial heat are among 

 the many objects to which his attention was directed. 

 Natural History gradually took a more and more 

 prominent place in his studies, and a great History of 

 Insects engaged the last years of his busy life. 



Reaumur was neither an anatomist nor a systematist, 

 at least he gained no distinction in either of these 

 branches of biology. No biological laboratory had 

 been dreamt of in his day ; he lacked the manipulative 

 skill of Swammerdam or Lyonet ; he was no draughts- 



