CUVIER. 187 



and he found many hidden away in vaults and 

 which had been collected by Daubenton and Buffon. 

 Other specimens were obtained, and thus the 

 great collection was commenced. In 1796, Cuvier 

 discovered the curious fact that there is naturally 

 red blood in leeches, and in the following year he 

 read a famous paper on the nutrition of insects. 

 Refusing to go to Egypt, as he had his proper 

 work to do at home, for his pupils Dumeril and 

 Duvernoy were working hard for and with him, 

 dissecting and describing, the result was the 

 publication of the first volume of the lessons on 

 comparative anatomy already alluded to. This 

 led to Cuvier being made professor of natural 

 history to the College of France. Of the young 

 professor's ability there could be no doubt, and 

 everybody was struck with the excellent method 

 of his lectures and books. His mind was essen- 

 tially an orderly and very contemplative and rea- 

 soning one, and his fame soon reached the ears of 

 Napoleon, then first consul. He made Cuvier 

 one of the six inspectors general of education who 

 were to found public schools in some thirty towns 

 in France and what are now called Royal Colleges. 

 Cuvier founded those of Bordeaux, Nice, and Mar- 

 seilles. In this last-mentioned place he continued 

 his work on marine animals. Whilst Cuvier was 

 performing these very important duties for the 

 state, with great benefit to the towns and credit to 

 himself, he was chosen to be one of the perpetual 

 secretaries to the National Institute, and had a 



