334 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



beautiful works of MM. Levaillant and Vieillot, 

 and the rich collection of coloured plates of 

 MM. Laugier and Ternrninck have served for the 

 species unknown to Buffon. The latin name, 

 written in the second line, is that given by 

 Gmelin in his edition of the Systema Natures, 

 or of the author who has since described it. 

 The third line gives the name of the country 

 whence the individual comes, with that of the 

 traveller who brought it, or of the person who 

 presented it to the Museum. 



The collection comprehends upwards of six 

 thousand individuals belonging to more than two 

 thousand three hundred different species. Al- 

 most all are in a perfect state of preservation; 

 and such means have been found of preparing 

 them, that they never change. There is not so 

 numerous a collection existing any where else, 

 and nevertheless it has been formed in a few 

 years. At the death of Buffon it consisted of only 

 eight hundred species ; but it has since been suc- 

 cessively enriched by the purchase of M. Levail- 

 lant's collection ; by the addition of that of the 

 Stadtholder, the possession of which was con- 

 firmed, when we gave in exchange our duplicates 

 in every branch of natural history ; and lastly, it 

 has been every year increased by those sent from 

 different countries by travellers. 



