The New International Encyclopædia/Lesson, René Primevère

LESSON, lā̇′sōN′, René Primevère (1794-1849). A French naturalist, born at Rochefort. He was largely self-educated, save for a medical course at Rochefort, which fitted him for ship's surgeon; and was on board the Regulus when it was burned at Bordeaux by the British. He was director of the botanical gardens at Rochefort in 1822, when he was ordered on board the Coquille for her famous voyage around the world. With Garnot and Guérin he wrote Voyage autour du monde sur la corvette La Coquille (1830); and alone published supplements to Buffon (1828, 1835-41), a popular description of the cruise of La Coquille (1838), and many works on zoölogy and natural history, especially as relating to medicine.