1 68 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



and tlie best part of a life was spent, and still 

 Lamarck was not a zoologist. The eternal fame 

 which he attained began to be earned after the 

 fiftieth year of his age, when circumstances over 

 which he had no control gave him the opportunity 

 of distinguishing himself, and of adding materially 

 to the truths of science as well as to its theories. 

 The Jardin et Cabinet du Roi were rearranged in! 

 their purpose and name in 1793, and were called 

 the Museum of Natural History ; and all the old 

 officials were made professors, and had to teach 

 the subjects best known or chosen by them 

 Lamarck, as the last comer, had to take what the 

 others left and would not undertake to teach. It 

 was the professorship which related to the class of 

 animals, called by Linnaeus, worms and insects, and 

 which had hitherto been almost overlooked, on 

 account of the supposed unimportance of the 

 subject. 



Until that time Lamarck had never studied 

 animals, and of course knew nothing of the 

 branch of zoology which was now entrusted to 

 him. He had taken an interest in shells, and had 

 made a small collection, but this was all. But he 

 did not shrink from the task before him. He set 

 to work with inexhaustible courage, availing him- 

 self of the advice of his friends, and applying to 

 the new study all that sagacity and perseverance 

 which had already been so invaluable to him in his 

 botanical works. By his indefatigable zeal in this 

 new sphere of inquiry Lamarck was soon enabled 



