LACEPEDE, BERNARD GERMAIN kT1ENNE, DE LA VILLE, COMTE DE, a celebrated French naturalist, was born at Agen, chief town of the department of Lot-et-Garonne, on the 26th of December 1756. His father, Jean Joseph Medard de la Ville, held a high legal appointment (lieutenant-general of the Senechausede) at Aged, and was descended from an ancient and noble family. Young LacepSde lost his mother at an early age, and from a great resemblance which he bore to her he was doted on by his father, who brought him up at horns, and freely allowed him to cultivate a taste which he showed for reading by letting him have free access to a good library. He thus acquired romantic notions and a generous unsuspicious disposition, which all the changes of a long and eventful life never effaced, and which sometimes led him into error, inducing him to believe impro bable circumstances rather than doubt the veracity of an author. Among other books, he met with Buffon's ' Histoire Naturelle,' which he read over and over till he knew it by heart, and thus gained a taste for natural history from the works of this fascinating writer, whom he henceforth took for his master and his model. While at home he imbibed a fondness for music, in which science he became a proficient; he also applied himself with ardour to the study of physics and natural philosophy, and formed with some of his young companions a juvenile academy, many members of which became afterwards mem bers or correspondents of the Institute. Having made some expe riments on electricity, and collected, as he thought, some important facts and observations, he wrote a memoir on this subject, and sent it to Buffets, who returned him such a flattering answer that on the reception of it he set off immediately for Paris, where Buffon then held the appointment of superintendent of the Jardin-du-Roi. He Was at this time about twenty years old, and wished to devote himself entirely to the pursuit of science and music ; but his frienda insisted on his following some profession, and accordingly he obtained a com mission in the army. He got attached however to a regiment where he had nothing to do, and which lie hardly ever saw, though it served for a nominal employment. At this time he assiduously cultivated his musical talents, and published an opera for the stage, which, though favourably received at first, was not ultimately and from this time he only followed this study for his private amusement.
In 1781 he published an essay on natural and artificial electricity, and in 1782 a treatise on physics, entitled ' Physique Gdodrale et Particuliere.' These works were full of ingenious hypothesis and clever reasoning, but the theories which they contained were not based on facts, and they did not meet with success. Buffon however, ou whose model they were written, was so much pleased with them that he became from this time the intimate friend and instructor of Lacepecle, who was now the first and favourite pupil of Buffett and Daubenton. Buffonproposed to him to continue his Natural History,' and in 1785 offered him the appointuaeut of curator and sulademonstrator in the Cabinet du Rol. He gladly left the army and accepted it, though a laborious situation. He now applied him self with energy to natural history, and published his Histoire Naturelle dee Quadrupedes Ovipares et des Serpents' in 1788-89; the last part came out after Buffun's death, Which took place in 1788.
Cuvier says," This publication, by its elegance of style, and the interesting facts it contaius, was worthy of the immortal work of which it forms the continuation; it marks the change of ideas and progress of science which had taken place during the forty years which had elapsed since the ' Histoire Naturelle' of Buffon first appeared." M. Lacepede however had not the antipathy of his master to precise methods and nomenclature; he formed classes, orders, and genera, which he clearly characterised, ae well as strictly defined many species; but his arrangement was, like that of Linnaeus, artificial and unphilo sophical, founded only on external characters, without refereuce to internal organisation. After the death of Buffoo, when France became disturbed by the national convulsions of the revolution, Lacdpede took an active part in political affairs; he was successively invited to fill the posts of president of Paris, commandant of the national guard, and deputy extraordinary for the town of Agen in the Legislative Assem bly of 1791, of which be was elected president. With many others he got out of favour in the following year, and narrowly escaped destruction during the reign of terror, being obliged to secrete him self for some time. When the Jardin-du-Roi was converted by the Convention into a public school, and named the Museum of Natural History, he returned there, and in' 1795 a new chair of zoology was created for him, in which be lectured on reptiles and fishes with great success. In 1798 he brought out the first part of his 'Eliatoire Naturelle des Poiseons,' which Cuvier pronounced to be a very good performance considering the disadvantages under which he laboured in getting specimens, and the imperfect knowledge of the organisation of these animals at that time. In 1804 his 'Histoire Naturelle des Cdtacds' was published, which he correctly estimated as the best of his writings. After this period he wrote no large work, though he coutributed numerous memoirs to the ' Annales du Museum,' tho 'Illemoires de l'Acaddmie des Sciences,' and other publications. A great deal of his time was spent in public business. In 1799 ho was elected a member of the senate, and was made president in 1801. From 1803 till the Restoration he filled the office of grand chancellor of the Legion of Honour.- He was a member of the Institute at the time of its formation, and afterwards of the Academy of Sciences. He died ou the 6th of October 1825. Cuvier says that he was always distinguished by excessive politeness and courteousness of manner, with which however he combined great kindness of heart, and that hie works show him to have been a profound observer and an elegant writer. We here subjoin the titles of his principal work., but for a complete enumeration of hi. literary contributions we refer to Cuvier's ' where a good biographical memoir of Lao6pede will be fount : ' Ilistoire Natnrelle, G(Indrale, et Particulibre, des Quadrupedes Oripares at des Serpents,' 2 Tole. 4to, Paris, 1788-89, translated into German by Bechateio, 8vo, Weimar, 1802; Histoire Naturello, (to., des Poiseons; 5 vols. 4to, Paris, 1798-1803, translated into German, 2 vol.. See, Berlin, 1804 ; ' Eloge Ilistorique de Daubeuton,' 8vo, Paris, 1790; ' Histoire Naturalle, &c., des CAtacds,' 4to, Paris, 1304.