PREFACE. 



Eené Louiche Desfontaines, the celebrated botanist, whose sole contribution to zoology is 

 hère reproduced, was born, according to bis "Éloge historique," read llth September, 

 1837, to the French Academy of Sciences, by M. Flourens,* at Tremblay in Britanny, 

 14th February, 1750, and was educated for the médical profession. In August, 1783, 

 he sailed from Marseilles to Algiers with the object of investigating the geography, 

 antiquities and especially the natural history of the Barbary States. Early in 1786| 

 he retumed to Paris, and was soon after appointed by De Buffon a Professer at the 

 Jardin des Plantes. He subsequently was elected to the Institute, and on the foundation 

 of the Linnean Society of London, ISth March, 1788, was chosen one of its foreign 

 members. In like manner, when the Légion of Honour was established he was named 

 one of its original members. He died 16th November, 1833. 



It is said to hâve been Desfontaines's intention to hâve published a narrative of 

 his travels in Barbary, but his manuscripts, having been submitted to the king, Louis XVI., 

 were lost during the révolution, with the exception of a few fragments which were 

 pubKshed in the 'Nouvelles Annales des Voyages' for 1830, and were reprinted in 1838, 

 with some additions, by M. DnEEAU de la Malle. | Thèse contain but few remarks on 

 zoology, and the chief passages relating to birds are the following. 



Writing from Tunis, lôth April, 1784, to his friend and patron Lemonnier, he says 

 of his journey in the retinue of the Bey of Tunis to Cafsa and the Djerid, in référence 

 to Caïrouan : — 



" J'ai eu le plaisir de voir pour la première fois, dans ces contrées, un très bel oiseau 

 qu'on appelle houbara. Je crois que Shaw est le seul auteur qui l'ait connu. J'en ai 

 l'histoire complète." — (Dureau. ii. p. 02.) 



Again, at Tozer : — 



"Le bey m'a fait présent de trois à quatre oiseaux rares. J'ai empaillé un cafsa% 

 espèce de moineau qui niche dans les maisons, et dont le chant est fort agréable ; il ne 



se trouve que vers le désert Les grives, les canards sauvages, les tourterelles. 



sont communes au Gerid, Je me donnais souvent en herborisant, le plaisir de la chasse," — 

 {t. c. p. 70.) 



* Mémoires de l'Académie Eoyale des Sciences de l'Institut de France, xvi. pp. i. — six. 



t The dates aasigned by M. Pakisot in his Memoir of Desfontaines (Biographie Universelle 

 ancienne et moderne. Nonv. Ed. Paris : 1S55, x. pp. 137 — 190) for some of the events of his life 

 differ from those given above on the anthority of M. Flourens ; bnt the last seem préférable, aa the 

 inaccuracy in this respect of the otherwise usetul ' Biographie Universelle ' bas long been knoH-n to and 

 regretted by hiatorians and biographers. 



J Voyagea dans les Bégences de Tunis et d'Alger. Tome second. (Paris : 1838.) 



§ Thus according to M. Duke au ; but it seema possible that Desfontaines wrote " ù Cafsa une 

 espèce " etc. The bird was most likely the Frinrjillaria saharœ of modem ornithologists. 



