68 BARON CUVIER. 



studiousness and great love of books, but it proved 

 a great thing for Georges Cuvier and for the scien- 

 tific world. Thousands of women and men could 

 do more of these little acts of kindness, if they 

 only thought of it. Well said Thomas Hood : 



"Evil is wrought by want of thought, 

 As well as want of heart." 



The boy of fourteen said good-by to his devoted 

 mother, and started for Stuttgart, seated between 

 the Chamberlain and the Secretary of the Grand 

 Duke. Both spoke German all the way, and the 

 lonesome boy did not understand a word. He 

 entered the Academy May 4, 1784, and for four 

 years studied mathematics, law, philosophy, finance, 

 and the like. 



But he lost no opportunity to study natural 

 history. A professor gave him the works of 

 Linnaeus, and he gained inspiration from the 

 young man who could travel four thousand miles 

 through the marshes of Lapland, nearly barefoot 

 and half-starved, in his study of plants. Georges 

 now collected a herbarium. When he had leisure, 

 he drew and colored insects, birds, and flowers with 

 great accuracy. He kept a number of living insects 

 in his room, constantly feeding them, and watching 

 their habits. He said years afterward, " If I had 

 not studied insects from choice, when I was at col- 

 lege, I should have done so later, from a conviction 

 of its necessity." He declared that the wonders he 



