THIRD PERIOD. 123 



He has also classed the shells and polypuses of 

 the cabinet after a more scientific and exact 

 method, and has characterised all the genera, 

 and determined a great number of living and 

 fossil species. His impaired sight not permitting 

 him to continue his demonstrations, he is replaced 

 by M. Latreille, whose numerous writings, and 

 especially his great work on the classification and 

 generic characters of crustaceous animals and 

 insects, rank him among the first entomologists 

 of Europe. 



The three courses just mentioned are delivered 

 in the summer, and continue three or four 

 months. 



The chair for human anatomy has always been 

 filled by professors of distinguished merit, and 

 for many years it afforded a more complete body 

 of instruction than any other in the kingdom. 

 In later times, as anatomical courses have been 

 multiplied, though it no longer boasts the same 

 superiority, it has not lost its ancient reputation : 

 since 1778 it has been occupied by M. Portal, first 

 physician to the king and president of the aca- 

 demy of medicine. 



M. Mertrud had for several years studied com- 

 parative anatomy under Daubenton ; yet he did 

 not consider that science in its most elevated 

 point of view. M. Cuvier, appointed to assist 



