5y8 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



semblance to our copper-plate engravings. It is 

 a work on anatomy, translated from French into 

 Chinese, and sent from Pekin to the academy of 

 sciences in 1 728 by father D. Parennin. 



The collection of paintings on vellum, of which 

 we have given the history in the former part of 

 this work, when removed from the Royal library 

 to that of the Museum, consisted of sixty vo- 

 lumes folio, at present it forms eighty-four; 

 sixty of plants, twenty-two of the various 

 branches of zoology, ajid two of comparative 

 anatomy. 



The drawings amount to 4>?5o ; viz. 3,5oo of 

 plants, 1 66 of mammiferous animals, 460 of birds, 

 38 of reptiles, 1 18 of fishes, i3o of Crustacea and 

 shellfish, 100 of insects, 26 of radiaria and polypi, 

 and 212 of comparative anatomy. They are ar- 

 ranged according to the natural families, and the 

 names of the objects are placed on the back of 

 the volume. A great number of these drawings 

 have been engraved, but those that represent 

 familiar objects are still curious, as- furnishing 

 examples for the different lectures, or as models 

 for students in the art of painting objects of na- 

 tural history. 



As there are at present six artists attached to 

 l he Museum, each professor causes to be painted 

 such objects as have not yet been figured, and 



