54 



LAMARCK, HIS LIFE AND WORK 



meetings from 4 venddmiaire, I'an III., until 4 vend^- 

 miaire, I'an IV., are each written in his bold, legible 

 handwriting or signed by him. He signed his name 

 Lamarck, this period being that of the first republic. 

 Afterwards, in the records, his name is written De 

 Lamarck. He was succeeded by E. Geoffrey St. 

 Hilaire, who signed himself plain Geoffrey. 



In 1802 he acted as treasurer of the Assembly, and 

 again for a peripd of six years, until and including 

 181 1, when he resigned, the reason given being: " II 

 s'occupe depui^ six ans et que ses travaux et son age 

 lui rendent penibles." 



Lamarck was,textremely regular in his attendance 

 at these meetings. From 1793 until 1818 he rarely, 

 if ever, missed a meeting. We have only observed in 

 the records of this long period the absence of his 

 name on two or three occasions from the list of those 

 present. During 181 8 and the following year it was 

 his blindness which probably prevented his regular 

 attendance. July 15, 1818, he was present, and pre- 

 sented the fifth volume of his Animaux sans Verth 

 bres ; and August 31, 1819, he was present* and laid 

 before the Assembly tbe sixth volume of the same 

 great work. 



From the observations of the records we infer that 



* His attendance this year was infrequent. July lo, T820, he was 

 present and made a report relative to madrepores and molluscs. In 

 the summer of 1821 he attended several of the meetings. August 7, 

 1821, he was present, and referred to the collection of shells of Struthi- 

 olaria. He was present May 23d and June gth, when it was voted that 

 he should enjoy the garden of the house he occupied and that a cham- 

 ber should be added to his lodgings. He was frequent in attendance 

 this year, especially during the summer months. He attended a few 

 meetings at intervals in 1822, 1823, and only twice in 1824. 



At a meeting held April 19, 1825, he was present, and, stating that 



