of _Prodrome d'une nouvelle
distribution methodique du regne animal_ (1816); _Osteographic ou
description iconographique comparee du squelette, &c._ (1839-1864);
_Faune francaise_ (1821-1830); _Corns de physiologie generale et
comparee_ (1833); _Manuel de malacologie et de conchyliologie_
(1825-1827); _Histoire des sciences de l'organisme_ (1845).

BLAIR, FRANCIS PRESTON (1791-1876), American journalist and politician,
was born at Abingdon, Virginia, on the 12th of April 1791. He removed to
Kentucky, graduated at Transylvania University in 1811, took to
journalism, and was a contributor to Amos Kendall's paper, the _Argus_,
at Frankfort. In 1830, having become an ardent follower of Andrew
Jackson, he was made editor of the Washington _Globe_, the recognized
organ of the Jackson party. In this capacity, and as a member of
Jackson's "Kitchen Cabinet," he long exerted a powerful influence; the
_Globe_ was the administration organ until 1841, and the chief
Democratic organ until 1845; Blair ceased to be its editor in 1849. In
1848 he actively supported Martin Van Buren, the Free Soil candidate,
for the presidency, and in 1852 he supported Franklin Pierce, but soon
afterwards helped to organize the new Republican party, and presided at
its preliminary convention at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in February 1856.
He was influential in securing the nomination of John C. Fremont at the
June convention (1856), and of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. After Lincoln's
re-election in 1864 Blair thought that his former close personal
relations with the Confederate leaders might aid in bringing about a
cessation of hostilities, and with Lincoln's consent went unofficially
to Richmond and induced President Jefferson Davis to appoint
commissioners to confer with representatives of the United States. This
resulted in the futile "Hampton Roads Conference" of the 3rd of February
1865 (see LINCOLN, ABRAHAM). After the Civil War Blair became a
supporter of President Johnson's reconstruction policy, and eventually
rejoined the Democratic party. He died at Silver Spring, Maryland, on
the 18th of October 1876.

His son, MONTGOMERY BLAIR (1813-1883), politician and lawyer, was born
in Franklin county, Kentucky, on the 10th of May 1813. He graduated at
West Point in 1835, but, after a year's service in the Seminole War,
left the army, studied law, and began practice at St Louis, Missouri.
After serving as United States district attorney (1839-1843), a