DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



reptiles, M. Cuvier in his Regne animal, M. Geof- 

 froy St. Hilaire in the Annals of the Museum, 

 and M. de Jussieu in his Genera plantarum, have 

 frequently made use of the designs of Commer- 

 son. As the collection of this celebrated tra- 

 veller has been given to the Museum, we possess 

 the greater number of the objects he has figured. 



4th. Description of the plants and animals of 

 Java and the Philippines, with plates, by Norona, 

 a Spanish physician and naturalist. 



This manuscript, which might form 2 vois. 4, 

 was given to the Museum by the academy of 

 sciences. 



On his way home from Java, where he made 

 a long stay, Norona stopped at the isle of France, 

 and died there in 1788. 



M. de Cossigny, who had the charge of his 

 manuscripts, presented them to the academy of 

 sciences, on condition that M. de la Billardiere 

 should arrange and publish them. The academy 

 judging that the work contained many new and 

 curious facts accepted it; but the publication, 

 begun in 1790, was arrested the following 

 year, when the editor embarked in search of 

 La Peyrouse. It would be interesting to extract 

 from NoronVs work what may have escaped the 

 attention of naturalists that have since visited the 

 same countries. 



