1 66 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



lecting plants, and visiting the Jardin du Roi, 

 Lamarck gave way to discussions with other bota- 

 nists on the imperfections of all the systems of 

 classification then known, and on the ease with 

 which a new system might be created, capable of 

 determining plants with greater quickness and cer- 

 tainty. Wishing to prove what he had so often 

 affirmed he set to work, and after six months of 

 incessant labour he produced his " Flore Frangaise." 

 This work was merely an epitome of plants in- 

 digenous to France, to which Lamarck had not 

 ventured to add one new species ; but it was a con- 

 venient and sure guide to the name of every plant, 

 and was peculiarly acceptable at a time when the 

 writings of Rousseau had rendered botany popular. 

 By Lamarck's arrangement, the most easily re- 

 conciled portions of the systems then in vogue, 

 namely, those of Tournefort, Linnaeus, and Jussieu, 

 were selected to form a new method of classifica- 

 tion. This method was admired by the Academy 

 of Sciences, and was also recommended by Buffon, 

 who had sufficient interest to get it published at 

 the expense of the government, for the benefit of 

 the author who much needed such aid. Lamarck 

 was promoted to a vacant place in the Academic 

 des Sciences, and during 1781-82 he went as tutor 

 and botanist to BuffiDn's son through Holland, Ger- 

 many, and Hungary, visiting public establishments 

 and learned men. On his return to France, he 

 applied himself zealously to his former studies, and 

 produced the botanical portion of the "Encyclo- 



