34 LAMAXCX, HIS LIFE AND WORK 



National Museum is for the future placed ; " though 

 in general the assembly only reported to the Minister 

 matters relating to the expenses, the first annual 

 grant of the Museum being icx),ooo livres. 



Four days after, June 14th, the assembly met and 

 adopted the name of the establishment in the follow- 

 ing terms : Museum d'Histoire Naturelle d^cr^t^ par 

 la Convention Nationale le \o Juin, 1793; and at a 

 meeting held on the 9th of July the assembly defi- 

 nitely organized the first bureau, with Daubenton 

 as director, Thouin treasurer, and Desfontaines sec- 

 retary. Lamarck, as the records show, was present 

 at all these meetings, and at the first on^^ne 14th, 

 Lamarck and Fourcroy were designated as commis- 

 sioners for the formation of the Museum library. 



All this was done without the aid or presence of 

 Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, the Intendant. The Min- 

 ister of the Interior, qjpanwhile, had communicated 

 to him the decision of the National Convention, and 

 invited him to continue his duties up to the moment 

 when the new organization should be established. 

 After remaining in his office until July 9th, he retired 

 from the Museum August 7th following, and finally 

 withdrew to the country at Essones. 



The organization of the Museum is the same now 

 as in 1793, having for ov^r a century been the chief 

 biological centre of France, and with its magnificent 

 collections was never more useful in the advancement 

 of science than at this moment. 



Let us now look at the composition of the assembly 

 of professors, which formed the Board of Administra- 

 tion of the Museum at the time of his appointment. 



