FOUVILLE, Jean Baptiste, French naturalist, born in Hambye. Manche, 15 February 1794; died in Brazil in 1837. He inherited a fortune, and in 1820 set out on extensive travels, visiting Europe, Brazil, Paraguay, Chili, Persia. and India. On his return to Paris he published "Voyages autour du monde" (1825); "A travers l'Amerique du Sud" (1825)" and "Du Br6sil a Santiago, avec cartes " (2 vols., 1826); and was elected a member of the Geographical society. He sailed in May 1826, on board the "Jules" for Buenos Ayres. The ship arrived on 29 October at La Plata, then blockaded by the Brazilians, and in trying to run the blockade was captured.

Fouville on his former visit had been the guest of the Brazilian admiral, and the rigors of war were now relaxed in his behalf. After a short stay at Montevideo as a prisoner he was liberated, and set out for Buenos Ayres, where he arrived 2,5 December 1826. He was successful in several commercial operations, and left for Rio Janeiro, 12 August 1827, immediately after his marriage with Miss Alice Laboissiere. After making a large cop lection of Brazilian plants, he sailed, 15 October for France, where he presented it to the Paris museum of national history, and published "Explications de l'herbier des plantes Bresiliennes de J. B. Fouville " (Paris, 1829). The Geographical society invited him to take charge of an expedition to the Congo, and he passed two years exploring the interior of Africa, his wife dying during his stay. On his return to Paris in May 1831, he published the result of his explorations,." Voyages au Congo et dans l'Afrique equinoxial" (4 vols., 1831).

Fouville sailed again for Brazil in March 1833, penetrated into the interior, and spent four years exploring the lands watered by the Amazon. Negroes whose cupidity was aroused killed him by his baggage, and his body thrown into the Amazon in June 1837. His last manuscripts, after many vicissitudes, fell into the hands of the traveler S. Rany, who sent them to Ferdinand Denis, who published them: "Histoire des nations Indiennes de l'Amazone" (1862); " Flore du Bresil " (1862); "Voyages au Bresil" (1863); and "Moeurs et coutumes des Indiens de l'Amerique du Sud" (1863).