1824-33 
CUVIER AT THE COLLEGE 
49 
happening during the time of the abdication of 
Charles X., caused the report in this country that 
Cuvier had fled to avoid danger ; but the facts 
'''"ere that the opportunities of absenting himself 
Were rare, and that he felt the necessity of coming 
England, more especially to gather materials 
Connected with his great work on fishes. 
In a little note which Owen has written in a 
hlemoir of Baron Cuvier, he attributes his per- 
.sonal introduction to Cuvier mainly to the fact 
that the great anatomist was unable to understand 
English and converse in it, while Owen under- 
stood French perfectly, and could speak it with 
tolerable fluency. 
‘In the year 1830,’ he writes, ‘I made 
Cuvier’s personal acquaintance at the Museum of 
the College of Surgeons, and was specially de- 
puted to show and explain to him such specimens 
he wished to examine. There was no special 
^^rit in my being thus deputed, the fact being 
hat I -vvas the only person available who could 
®Peak French, and who had at the same time 
Some knowledge of the specimens. Cuvier kindly 
i^uvited me to visit the Jardin des Plantes In the 
ollowing year.’ 
The result of Cuvier’s invitation was that. In 
Itily 1831, Owen visited Paris for the first time. 
avier was still engaged with Valenciennes in 
P^’oparlng their great work on fishes, on which 
*^th expended an enormous amount of time and 
^ol. I. p 
