La Cépède, M. le comte de (Bernard Germain Etienne de La Ville sur Illon), 1756-1825.

La Cépède was a French zoologist, the protegé of Buffon, who chose him to continue work on Buffon's Histoire naturelle, on the natural history of the vertebrates. La Cépède produced the first volume of the continuation in 1788 and the second in 1789, after Buffon's death, eventually completing Buffon's entire planned work by 1804. La Cépède helped constitute the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle, and in 1794 he was given a chair of zoology specializing in reptiles and fishes. His lectures earned him a reputation as "the successor of Buffon." When the Institut de France was established in 1795, La Cépède was chosen by the Directory as an original member of the section on anatomy and zoology.

From the description of Letters : Rue des Petits-Augustins [Paris], 1798 Apr. 23, 1798 May 15, 1798 July 18. (American Museum of Natural History). WorldCat record id: 56342625

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