LAST DAYS AND DEATH 52 
Even in advanced life Lamarck seems not to have 
suffered from ill-health, despite the fact that he ap- 
parently during the last thirty years of his life lived 
in a very secluded way. Whether he went out into 
the world, to the theatre, or even went away from 
Paris and the Museum into the country in his later 
years, isa matter of doubt. It is said that he was fond 
of novels, his daughters reading to him those of the best 
French authors. After looking with some care through 
the records of the sessions of the Assembly of Profes- 
sors, we are struck with the evidences of his devotion 
to routine museum work and to his courses of lectures. 
At that time the Museum sent out to the Ecoles 
centrales of the different departments of France named 
collections made up from the duplicates, and in this 
sort of drudgery Lamarck took an active part. He 
also took a prominent share in the business of the 
Museum, in the exchange and in the purchase of 
specimens and collections in his department, and even 
in the management of the menagerie. Thus he re- 
ported on the dentition of the young lions (one dying 
from teething), on the illness and recovery of one of 
the elephants, on the generations of goats and kids 
in the park; also on a small-sized bull born of a small 
cow covered by a Scottish bull, the young animal 
having, as he states, all the characters of the original. 
For one year (1794) he was secretary of the Board 
of Professors of the Museum.* The records of the 
* The first director of the Board or Assembly of Professors-admin- 
istrative of the Museum was Daubenton, Lacépéde being the secre- 
tary, Thouin the treasurer. Daubenton was succeeded by Jussieu ; 
and Lacépéde, first by Desfontaines and afterwards by Lamarck, who 
was elected secretary 18 fructidor, an II. (1794). 
