LACEPEDE, liVSA'DkV, BERNARD GERSLAIN ETIENNE DE LA VILLE, Count de (1756-1825). A French naturalist, born at Agen. lle early showed his love for natural history, and at the same time cultivated music and composed sev eral operas. which. however, were never produced. (flock encouraged his talents in this direction, and Lacilpede wrote a treatise on La poetique dr in musique (1785), which was favorably re ceived. After the appearance of his Easel sut l'Oectrieite (17S1) and Physique gt'nerale et particulie.re (1782-84), Buffon appointed him sub-demonstrato• in the Jardin dnt Roi. llis Histoirc des quadrupilles oriparcs ct des ser pents and Histaire naturelle des rep tiles (17A9), for many years the standard work on the subject. despite its inevitable errors, are continuations of But•on's llistoirc naturelle. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1791, hut did not remain in Paris during the Reign of Terror. After his return he was ap pointed to a special chair for instruction in the history of reptiles and fishes at the dardin des Plantes, and in 1796 became a member of the Insti tute. Ms iiistoire naturelle des poissons (1798
1803) and L'histoire des Cetaces (1804) are also continuations of Buffou's great work. From 1799 until the end of his life LaKitede took a promi nent part in politics. He was made Senator in 1799; in 1803 lie became grand chancellor of the Legion of Honor, and in 1809 1\Iinister of State. After the Restoration of 1814 he was made a peer. His other works include; Histoire ty'n•rale physique et cirilc de l'Europe depuis les derniires anm'cs du Vine sleek jusque ters le milieu du XVIIUme (18 vols., 1826) ; Les dges de la nature et Phistoire de l'espi-ce humaine (1830) ; and numberless articles contributed to miscellaneous publications. His works on natural history were collected and published in 1826. 1830. and 1840.