BORY DE SAINT-VINCENT

bory de saint-vincent, jean baptiste george marie (1780-1846), french naturalist, was born at agen in 1780. he was sent as naturalist with captain nicholas baudin's expedition to australia in 1798, but left the vessel at mauritius, and spent two years in exploring reunion and other islands. joining the army on his return, he was present at the battles of ulm and austerlitz, and in 1808 went to spain with marshal soult. his attachment to the napoleonic dynasty and dislike to the bourbons were shown in various ways during 1815, and his name was consequently placed on the list of the proscribed; but after wandering in disguise from place to place he was allowed quietly to return to paris in 1820. in 1829 he was placed at the head of a scientific expedition to the morea, and in 1839 he had charge of the exploration of algeria. he died on the 23rd of december 1846. he was editor of the _dictionnaire classique d'histoire naturelle_, and among his separate productions were:--_essais sur les iles fortunees_ (1802); _voyage dans les iles d'afrique_ (1803); _voyage souterrain, ou description du plateau de saint-pierre de maestricht et de ses vastes cryptes_ (1821); _l'homme, essai zoologique sur le genre humain_ (1827); _resume de la geographie de la peninsule_ (1838).