“ While a youth he became interested in geology, and being of independent means he was able to devote his energies to geological researches. As early as 1808 he communicated to the Journal des mines a paper entitled Essai sur la geologie du Nord de la France. He became maire of Skeuvre in 1807, governor of the province of Namur in 1815, and from 1848 occupied a place in the Belgian senate. He was an active member of the Belgian Academy of Sciences from 1816, and served three times as president. He was likewise president of the Geological Society of France in 1852. ”