8 Baron Cuvicr on the state of Natural Hutory. 



pose. MM. Diard and Duvaucel, led at first by their zeal, but 

 finding every where the most generous protection, collected an 

 immensity of objects in Bengal and the Isles of Sunda, and es- 

 pecially at Sumatra, which had never before sent any thing to 

 the cabinets of Europe. M. Leschenault, during a residence of 

 five years on the (Coast of Coromandel, has scarcely left any 

 thing unknown of the productions of that rich country. He 

 has lately set out for North America, and we are already in- 

 formed that he has there resumed his labours with fresh ardour. 

 M. Fontanier is at Teflis in Georgia, engaged in collecting the 

 productions of the Caucasus, a labour in which he is seconded 

 by M. Gamba, the French consul in that city. M. Caillaud, 

 among his discoveries in Nubia, and as far as the borders of 

 Abyssinia, has made some which are not less interesting to natu- 

 ral history than to the study of antiquity. They complete those 

 for which we are indebted to the scientific men of a memorable 

 expedition. M. Milbert and M. Lesueur have traversed the 

 United States. M. Happel Lachesnaye has resided in Carolina 

 and Guadeloupe. M. Moreau de Jonnes had already, during 

 the war, made important observations at Martinique. M. Pley 

 has visited several of the Antilles, and touched at Terra Firma. 

 From all these places great quantities of plants and animals 

 have arrived at the Museum. M. Milbert especially, a distin- 

 guished artist, who had formerly accompanied Baudin as far as 

 the Isle of France, excited by M. Hyde de Neuville, our ambas- 

 sador to the United States, has made unheard of exertions in 

 his researches, and has sent home nearly sixty cargoes. With- 

 out being originally a naturalist by profession, he is one of those 

 to whom natural history will owe the deepest gratitude. 



It was, on the contrary, after preparing himself by the stu- 

 dies and reflections of many years, that M. Auguste Saint-Hilaire 

 visited Brazil. A profound botanist and an accomphshed na- 

 turalist in every department, during the five years which he 

 passed there he made great collections of animals, minerals, and 

 especially plants, forming a magnificent supplement to those 

 which M. Humboldt made some years before in Mexico, Peru, 

 and Columbia, and of which that general scholar had already 

 described so astonishing a number. 



This passion for science has even made its way among the 



